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Cass Gilbert's Woolworth BuildingMain MenuIntroductionArchitectural Drawings of the Woolworth BuildingThese pages contain original architectural drawings from Vanderbilt University Fine Art Gallery's Reiman Collection, completed by Cass Gilbert's architectural office between 1911 and 1913.Architectural ComparisonsConstructionContemporary ReactionsEngineeringHistorical ContextRepresentations of the Woolworth Building in Visual Art and LiteratureSkyscraper StyleUrban ContextBibliographyEllen Dement42442c14bff120b6e83827404fe0b851fdc8a6df
Details of Terra Cotta Finish, Bays between Columns 9 & 10, same as CIDOC-CRM E42 Object identifier
12017-03-05T18:08:33-08:00Ellen Dement42442c14bff120b6e83827404fe0b851fdc8a6df146343Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery. Partial gift of Gwen and Don Reiman, with additional acquisitions support provided by the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Collections Fund, and the Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities, same as CIDOC-CRM E29 Information Objectplain2017-05-02T22:09:45-07:00Ellen Dement42442c14bff120b6e83827404fe0b851fdc8a6df
12017-02-15T12:16:26-08:00Ellen Dement42442c14bff120b6e83827404fe0b851fdc8a6dfFrom Vanderbilt University Fine Arts GalleryEllen Dement9Partial gift of Gwen and Don Reiman, with additional acquisitions support provided by the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Collections Fund, and the Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities.vistag2017-05-02T20:23:10-07:00Ellen Dement42442c14bff120b6e83827404fe0b851fdc8a6df
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12017-01-30T12:17:09-08:00Exterior10image_header2017-03-24T10:48:29-07:00The exterior of the Woolworth Building dominated the New York skyline when it was finished in 1913. Rising 792 feet above the ground, the Woolworth Building was intended as a visual expression of the Woolworth Company's status in the business world. The building's distinctive profile also served as advertisement for the company, and the company gained publicity from articles about the building's status as the tallest structure in the world.
This drawing shows details of a bay on the 37th floor on the Barclay Street elevation of the building. Like the rest of the building's exterior, this section was executed in a Gothic Revival style. The Gothic was first used for soaring cathedrals in medieval Europe, and the verticality of the Gothic made it an apt choice for F.W. Woolworth's soaring skyscraper.
This drawing shows details for the building's terra cotta ornament. The vertical piers of the exterior were numbered, with numbers nine and ten shown in this drawing. This modern photo shows polychrome terra cotta on the building's tower.
The soaring height of the Woolworth Building and other skyscrapers would not have been possible without steel-frame technology. Other modern technologies, like plumbing and electricity, were incorporated into the building. As shown in this drawing, these systems were complex and required coordination with contractors like Albert Webster, the sanitary engineer whose office drew this section of the building.
