NEW YORK SCHOOL OF SKYSCRAPER ARCHITECTURE

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G

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NEW YORK G
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SCHOOL OF

SKYSCRAPERS

DIMAYUGA | DUMAS | CLOSA | DINGLASAN | ESCAREZ | MAMIS

THE CITY OF G
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NEW YORK

New York City is Some of the older

famous for many structures have been

things, but it is best demolished in the

known for being the past to make way for

city of skyscrapers. the new ones. Two of

It all began with New York's most

religious cathedrals famous skyscrapers,

– the Trinity Church, the World Trade

which stood 280 feet Center's Twin

tall when completed Towers, were

in 1846, was the savagely destroyed

city's first during the 9/11

"skyscraper." attacks, but they

have been replaced

In the late- by a new, elegant,

nineteenth-century and glassy tower, the

"construction craze" One World Trade

for the tallest, most Center.

competitive

commercial structure

began. Many

beautiful buildings

have sprouted up

since then, piercing

the sky and

advancing

Manhattan's image

as the city with the

most iconic towers.

We included the top ten most iconic skyscrapers in
New York in this list – structures that are not only
the most famous in the city, but also the most
historically (or symbolically) significant.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

1 THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

2 THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

3 THE FLATIRON BUILDING

4 ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

5 THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING

6 30 ROCK - ROCKEFELLER PLAZA

THE METROPOLITAN LIFE

7 INSURANCE COMPANY TOWER

8 MANHATTAN MUNICIPAL BUILDING

9 NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING

1 0 E.V. THE HAUGHWOUT BUILDING

7 CHAPTERS OF SKYSCRAPER

1 1 HISTORYUIOP

The Empire State
GNIDLIUB ETATS
Building was
ERIPME EHT
completed in 1931, less

than a year after its

foundation was laid in

January 1930. It

dethroned the Chrysler

Building as the tallest

skyscraper in the

world, a title it held

for nearly 40 years

(the longest period in

history).

The building struggled

to fill its office space

with commercial

tenants when it was

completed, earning it

the infamous moniker

"The Empty State"

during the depths of

the Great Depression.

Millions of visitors

purchased tickets and

flocked to the

building's top

observation deck,

preventing it from

being demolished.

The Empire State

Building is still famous

today for its

breathtaking views

and neon lights, which

change depending on

the occasion and shine

brightly every night

after dark.

Built: 1931 350 Fifth
Location:

Ave, New York, NY

10118

01

The Chrysler Building Another building,

is one of the most located at 40 Wall

well-known Street, was

structures in the competing for the

world, not just in title at the time of

New York. It was its completion.

constructed in the Because both 40 Wall

1930s in the lovely Street and the

Art Deco style that Chrysler Building

was popular at the were constructed at

time. It once had a the same time, the

top observation Chrysler Building's

deck, like the Empire architect

State Building, but it incorporated a

was permanently hidden, narrow spire

closed to visitors in (125 feet, or 38

1945. meters tall) inside

the summit.

The Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building

was also the world's raised its steel spire

tallest building for from within the

less than a year crown just a few

before being weeks after 40 Wall

surpassed by the Street officially

Empire State opened to great

Building. fanfare in April 1930,

stealing the fame

and title from its

THE less clever

competitor.

Built: 1930

CHRYSLER Location: Ave, 405
Lexington New

York, NY, 10174

BUILDING

02

GNIDLIUBTheFlatironBuilding
NORITALF EHT
was originally known as

the Fuller Building, after

its owner and builder,

George A. Fuller,

founder of the Fuller

company. When

completed, it was one of

the world's tallest

buildings and one of the

first skyscrapers to use

a steel frame. It is still

an active office building

today, with a variety of

commercial tenants,

though the current

owner intends to convert

it into a high-end luxury

hotel at some point

The building drew a lot

of criticism when it was

first revealed to the

public, as did its current

name, which began as a

nickname, "the flat iron

building."

Some locals do not

believe the structure

will last long and are

betting on when it will

be destroyed by one of

the city's frequent

strong gusts of wind.

Clearly,

The structure "survived"

and quickly became one

of Manhattan's most

iconic and well-known

landmarks.

Built: 1902 Ave,
Location: 175 5th

New York, NY 10010

03

One World Trade This stunning

Center is a new structure has a

skyscraper in symbolic

Manhattan. It was significance,

built on the site of particularly for New

the demolished Yorkers. It

World Trade Center represents hope,

and is now the growth, and a fresh

tallest structure in start, as well as the

the Western city's fortitude and

Hemisphere, not just tough resilience in

in New York. the face of evil

terrorism,

It, too, provides destruction, and

breathtaking aerial horror. It was

views of the Statue constructed with

of Liberty, Ellis enhanced security

Island, Lower and features on the

Midtown Manhattan, inside and a

downtown Brooklyn, beautiful layout,

and the Empire and it will

State Building. undoubtedly become

one of the most

recognizable and

popular landmarks

in history.

Built: 2013 285
Location:

Fulton St, New York,

NY 10007

THE

ONE WORLD

TRADE CENTER

04

THE

WOOLWORTH
BUILDING
The Woolworth Building

is a National Historic
Landmark. It was built

by Frank Woolworth, a

brilliant innovator and

self-made millionaire

The Woolworth Building

was also one of the

tallest structures in the

world from 1913 (when it

first opened) to 1930.

Woodrow Wilson, the

current president of the

United States, had

participated in its

inauguration ceremony

by sending a telegram

from the White House on

the day it was opened.

The President's message

signaled the start of the

Woolworth Building's

illumination, which

included over eighty

thousand lights. It is

still in use today, though

some of its upper floors

have been converted

into high-priced

penthouses for sale to

wealthy buyers.

Built: 1992
Location:233 Broadway,

New York, NY 10007

05

30 Rockefeller Plaza is located on the 70th
floor and features a
(or simply 30 Rock) is 360-degree panoramic
open-air platform.
a well-known building

in Midtown Manhattan

that is part of the

massive Rockefeller Despite being built in

Center. The the early 1930s, 30

Rockefeller family, a Rockefeller Plaza was

well-known American designed in the

billionaire family, magnificent Art Deco

built the center. It is style that was popular

made up of 19 at the time. The

buildings spread out beautiful decorations

over four blocks and murals, including

(between 48th and those in front of the

51st streets, and 5th building, such as the

and 6th Avenues). The beautiful bronze

tallest building on the gilded Statue of

site, 30 Rockefeller Prometheus, make it

Plaza, stands 70 well worth a visit.

stories tall and offers NBC, Saturday Night

breathtaking views of Live, The Tonight Show

Manhattan. Its top Starring Jimmy Fallon,

deck, dubbed 'The Top Late Night with Seth

of the Rock,' Meyers, and many

THE others have offices

and studios inside the

tower.

30 ROCK -
ROCKEFELLER
PLAZA

06
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020

This magnificent structure

was also the tallest

building in the world for

nearly four years, from

1909 to 1913, before the

title was transferred to

the Woolworth Building. It

is located in Madison

Square Park, near the

Flatiron Building. It is also

a National Historic

Landmark. The Met Life

Tower's striking

centerpiece is a large,

four-dial clock located at

its summit, which is one of

the largest of its kind in

the world. It is larger than

London's famous Big Ben

tower. This magnificent

skyscraper was inspired by

Venice's famous Campanile

tower.

It was converted from an

office building to a luxury

hotel called the New York

Edition Hotel in 2015. It is

particularly beautiful at

night, when its summit

glows and illuminates the

sky.

Built: 1909 Ave,
Location: 1 Madison

New York, NY 10010

07

MANHATTAN

Built: 1914 1 Centre St, New

Location:

York, NY 10007

The David N. Dinkins Municipal According to one interesting legend

Building, as it is now known, is a about the Municipal Building, after

stunning 40-story structure seeing a photograph of it, the famous

directly across the street from Russian dictator, Josef Stalin, fell in

City Hall. It was built after the love with it. It later inspired him to

merger of five separate towns – build numerous buildings in the

Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Soviet Union in a similar 'Stalinist'

Bronx, and Staten Island – into style, such as the central building of

one massive metropolis known as Moscow University. The beautiful

New York City in 1898. The newly golden statue atop the Municipal

combined municipal governments Building is known as Civic Fame. It is

required more space to house made of gilded copper and holds a

their expanded departments, so crown (representing the five

the Municipal Building was boroughs) in one hand and the New

constructed. York City Coat of Arms in the other. 08

The New York Life Insurance Building

is a stunning Gothic Revival

structure known for its incredible

pyramid summit made of 25,000

gold-leaf tiles. It gets its name from

the fact that it is the headquarters

of the New York Life Insurance

Company.

It is also close to Madison Square
Park and The Met Life Tower. The
structure takes up an entire block
and is a National Historic Landmark.
Cass Gilbert, who also designed the
famous Woolworth Building, was the
talented architect of the New York
Life Insurance Building. A small
visitor center inside the main lobby
provides a brief history of this
magnificent structure and is well
worth a quick stop.

Built: 1928 Avenue, New
Location: 51 Madison

York, NY 10010

09

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When you first see this five- that kept elevators from

story structure, you might falling even if all of their

wonder, "Why is it on the list supporting cables failed

of skyscrapers?" It's not just simultaneously. The structure

because the E.V. The is in SoHo, a trendy

Haughwout Building is the downtown neighborhood

oldest on the list, predating filled with artists,

all of the above skyscrapers, celebrities, and a plethora

and it is also historically of small and large

significant – it houses the department stores. It was

World's first passenger constructed of cast iron,

elevator! The elevator was which was a new material at

built by Elisha Graves Otis, the time.

an American inventor. He

created the first safety It was the original Eder V.

mechanism Haughwout's megastore,

which sold very expensive

and delicate china,

silverware, chandeliers, and

other items. Mary Todd

Lincoln, the legendary

President Abraham Lincoln's

wife, was one of its wealthy

and famous customers, and

she bought a set of

beautiful, new china to

decorate the White House.

Built: 1857 Broadway, 10
Location: 488-492

New York, NY 10012

7

Phase one Phase five

A pre-skyscraper phase, Dealing with the skyscraper

roughly between 1849 and 1870, as a tower. Three variants

comprised of buildings that are recognized in this

contained the essential category: the "isolated"

elements of the skyscraper but tower, conceived as early as

had not yet been assembled 1888 but not realized until

into a single structure. 1894-95; a "mounted" tower,

dating around 1911, as

Phase two exemplified by the

Woolworth Building; and a

Beginning with the Equitable "set-back" tower, resulting

Life Assurance Building, built from the rights provided by

between 1868 and 1870, which zoning code revisions

contains the necessary beginning in 1916.

ingredients for an early

skyscraper but retains the Phase six

compositional features of

Phase 1. Associated with the

"setback" skyscraper, as

Phase three dictated by zoning-code

revisions after 1916.

Beginning around 1878, when

the French mansardic mode

gives way to a flat-roofed

Phase seven

formula involving a free and

varied grouping of stories

Rockefeller Center, which

producing "wild work," in

dates from 1930, features a

Schuyler's words.

solution with limited space

development, a park-like

Phase four setting, and often multiblock

dimensions.

Beginning in the late 1880s and

distinguished by a three-part

composition system

corresponding to the parts of a

classic column with its base,

shaft, and capital.

11

Skyscrapers have a long history in New York City.
It has housed ten buildings that have held the
title of the world's tallest fully habitable building
at some point in history, though half of them have
since been demolished.

New York City has architecturally significant

buildings in a variety of styles that span different

historical and cultural periods. For 75 years, it

was a home to the world's tallest building,

beginning with the Park Row Building in 1899 and

ending with One World Trade Center upon

completion of the Sears Tower in 1974.

NEW YORK

SCHOOL OF

SKYSCRAPERS

GROUP 2
PUBLISHING

EDITORS: ESCAREZ, HARVIE C. & CLOSA,

JOSEF MARL M.

RESEARCHERS: DINGLASAN, JUSTINE &

MAMIS, DENVER GIL | DIMAYUGA, MAISY


& DUMAS, JONALYN