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Gilbert's Traditionalism and his Creation of an American Style
Cass Gilbert and Frank Woolworth sought to create a new style for a new type of building: the iconic representation of corporate America. To legitimize capitalist society, the Woolworth building harks back to the grand municipal buildings of the Low Countries. Even as it was understood by contemporary people, the Woolworth Building’s association with ecclesiastical architecture as the Cathedral of Commerce were not a demerit. Gilbert as architect and Woolworth as patron worked to blend disparate Northern European late-Gothic elements into a harmonious whole; much like the United States was a blend of the cultures of Northern Europe, the two men aimed to reflect that notion in their choice of Northern European Gothic influences when designing the Woolworth Building. He was always trying to relate the style of the building to the needs of the client.[2] He had a conservative but not static approach to design, and was able to adapt according to demands of function and market considerations.[3] Gilbert managed to create a new Gothic style that he continued to morph as times changed and clients demanded more modern designs that were still rooted in the past. Cass Gilbert’s versatility and the authenticity of his Gothic work lead me to believe that he was actively seeking a truly American style – the “American Gothic.”
[1] Sharon Irish, Cass Gilbert, 153.
[2] e.g. the choice of monumental heavy Beaux-Arts style for the US Custom House reflected the clients’ desire to emphasize the importance and wealth of the Port of New York, and the choice of Classical architecture in the Supreme Court Building in DC to represent the inheritance of the democratic process from Ancient Greece and Rome.
[3] Irish, Cass Gilbert, 58-59.
