Woolworth Building

1:2500 scale miniature paper model, about 3.75 inches tall

This "Cathedral of Commerce" was the world's tallest skyscraper when completed in 1913. Architect Cass Gilbert felt the Gothic style best expressed the verticality of the modern city. An observation balcony at the top of the pyramidal roof and the ornate elevator lobby were once popular tourist attractions but are no longer accessible to the public.

Read more:

• History of the building from the Cass Gilbert Society
• Description of the ornate lobby which is no longer open to the public
• Curbed NY visits the observation deck
• More photos of lobby details and other secrets of the building on Scouting NY
• Construction of the building and photos of daredevil workmen
• The Skyscraper and the City: The Woolworth Building and the Making of Modern New York, by Gail Fenske, University of Chicago Press (2014)