Cass Gilbert's Woolworth Building

Swimming Pool

The Woolworth Building included a variety of amenities for its tenants to enjoy, among them a complete health club. This space, located in the sub-basement, included a large bathing establishment with changing rooms. The initial design of this space was sumptuous; the room housing the pool would have been lined with marble and inspired by the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Gilbert hired the decorating firm of Mack, Jenney and Tyler to design the ornate wall and ceiling panels. However, the space was ultimately executed in a more austere style.

Note that the swimming pool was under construction in December 1912, as shown in a photograph by Wurts Bros. Photography. Two drawings from Vanderbilt's collection, however, depict the space and are dated 1913. Creating the Woolworth Building was a dynamic process, and initial plans were sometimes revised after construction had begun. The overall forms and decoration of the swimming pool were likely changed due to financial concerns, given the comparative simplicity of the final product to the original presentation drawing.

This superseded drawing from March 27, 1913 shows the plan of the bathing establishment at an early stage in the design process. It was revised on May 12, 1913 with changes shown in pencil. It features a plaster ceiling with organic motifs, walls lined with marble pilasters, and an intricate apse. This drawing from June 7, 1913 is notably different. The ceiling designs are removed, as are almost all of the pilasters ,and the apse is simplified into a shallower semi-circle.

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