Print this page Woolworth Building: Cathedral in the Clouds
J.M. Syken
Course Outline
In this course, we will examine the historical background concerning the conception, design and construction of NYC’s famed Woolworth Building. This examination will include a review of the history of the building’s site on lower Broadway, the evolution of the skyscraper form in both Chicago and NYC and the difficulties involved in creating a solid foundation in the “soup soil” of lower Manhattan using sixty-nine reinforced concrete piers via the use of pneumatic caissons. We will also examine the structural system of the building including the use of portal braces and the unique method of wind bracing employed by structural engineer Gunvald Aus.
Furthermore, we will examine in depth and detail the architectural design of master Beaux-Arts architect Cass Gilbert for the building. This examination will focus on the ornate Lobby Arcade and exterior facade and roof treatment/s. As well, we will review the efforts to restore/repair/replace these exterior elements. Our review will also include an in-depth examination of the building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and elevator systems, all of which were state-of-the-art in 1913 when the building opened. The life and career of the building’s namesake – Frank Winfield Woolworth, including his motivations for creating the building, will be of particular interest. Lastly, we will review the plans to make the tower portion of the building into luxury residences.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand/appreciate the historical background of the site on lower Broadway where the Woolworth Building is located;
- Understand/appreciate the origins and development of the skyscraper form in both Chicago and NYC:
- Understand/appreciate the life, career and motivations of the Woolworth Building’s namesake: Frank W. Woolworth;
- Understand/appreciate the life, career, accomplishments, design theories etc. of Woolworth Building architect Cass Gilbert;
- Understand/appreciate the architectural and aesthetic design of the Woolworth Building’s celebrated Lobby Arcade;
- Understand/appreciate the central role of General Contractor Thompson-Starrett in the creation of the building;
- Understand/appreciate the difficulties encountered in establishing a solid foundation via the use of pneumatic caissons to create a network of reinforced concrete piers;
- Understand/appreciate the development and use of Portland cement in the U.S. construction industry;
- Understand/appreciate the superstructure’s steel frame design including wind bracing, portal braces and the design of the tower as an independent structure from grade to pinnacle;
- Understand/appreciate the use of hollow clay tile for fireproofing building elements, partitions, floor and roof construction;
- Understand/appreciate the architectural design and functions of the building’s first and second basement levels;
- Understand/appreciate the evolution and development of the architectural terra cotta industry in the late 19th and early 20th Century/s;
- Understand/appreciate the use of architectural terra cotta and limestone/granite on the building’s four main facades;
- Understand/appreciate the process of creating ornate terra cotta shapes and methods of installation;
- Understand/appreciate the use of rolled gold leaf on the roof surfaces;
- Understand/appreciate the innovative elevator system furnished and installed by the Otis Elevator Company including the many safety and convenience features;
- Understand/appreciate the state-of-the-art fire protection, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, cooling, heating and ventilation equipment/systems used in the design of the Woolworth Building;
- Understand/appreciate the efforts to restore/repair/replace exterior facade and roof elements due to deterioration and for NYC Local Law 11 compliance;
- Understand/appreciate the plans for the conversion of the tower portion of the building into luxury residences; and
- Understand/appreciate the lasting legacy of the Woolworth Building as the last hurrah for the pre-WWI “romantic” skyscraper in NYC and its reign as “World’s Tallest Building” for seventeen years.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design/construction professionals.
Benefit to Attendees
The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the creation of one of the world’s great edifices: the Woolworth Building.
Course Introduction
This course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and the viewing of six short documentary films.
Course Content
In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:
Woolworth Building: Cathedral in the Clouds (printable handout in PDF, 27 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Woolworth Building: Cathedral in the Clouds (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 112 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Archival/Documentary Film:
TITLE: Woolworth Building
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGC1vxO4f44
DURATION: 05:34
TITLE: The Woolworth Building at 100
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpF_AirbuL0
DURATION: 03:57
TITLE: Woolworth Building Terra Cotta Details
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G_JFkFiV44
DURATION: 03:00
TITLE: Architectural Terra Cotta Production
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bcua7YIM_w
DURATION: 03:20
TITLE: Gladding McBean: The Making of Terra Cotta
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK37FCgnxpc
DURATION: 01:32
TITLE: UDS & Seaboard Weatherproofing Restore the Woolworth Building
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cHtVC7Cxiw
DURATION: 03:15
TITLE: Big Bigger Biggest - Skyscraper Supremacy - Paart 1
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCfr7gS53kc
DURATION: 44:47
TITLE: Reinventing New York's Woolworth Building
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nip61wr16ac
DURATION: 10:38
Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.
Course Summary
The creation and opening of the Woolworth Building in April 1913 was one of the greatest accomplishments of the pre-WWI “Progressive Era” in the United States. A year later, in 1914, the Panama Canal would open thanks to American ingenuity and ambition, succeeding where the old world (i.e. France) had failed. The building was a celebration of capitalism and commerce, a real-life story of a poor farm boy making good and realizing his dream thanks to the American system of free enterprise. It was not just ego-gratification and social status that motivated Frank Winfield Woolworth. He understood intuitively the power of the “World’s Tallest Building” for promotional purposes, just as Pulitzer, Singer and Met Life before him. To achieve his goal, the building not only had to be the tallest, but also the most recognizable and distinguished in its architectural design and features, both inside and out. Architect Cass Gilbert had said: “A skyscraper is a machine that makes the land pay.” Client F.W. Woolworth not only wanted the land to pay, he wanted dividends in the form of name recognition for his growing retail empire. He got all and more from his $13.5 million investment, but only lived a few more years to enjoy it, dying in 1919 from, of all things, a tooth infection. But the building bearing his name lives on, past 100 now and ready for its next century “above the clouds.”
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolworth_Building
http://www.cassgilbertsociety.org/works/nyc-woolworth-bldg/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ3adWpQmcc
(Video animation of the Woolworth Building - 02:59)
http://vimeo.com/64747267
(video of lecture on April 22nd 2013 by author Gail Fenske – 01:25:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHMPR7flpf4
(Film: How Tall Buildings Tame the Wind - 09:33)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U3vB9P6Sec
(Film: Top 5 tallest Skyscrapers by 2021 - 05:14)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9mp-2w9aFU
(Film: What are Groundscrapers? - 03:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoGcnJ15TlM
(What are Earthscrapers? - 03:38)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwawntVZYEg
(What are Oceanscrapers? - 04:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIYdystZDJ4
(Ironworkers from Newfoundland: Walking Iron [1986] - 17:22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZxCYpSXQTs&list=PLct3LriY6JUzXBt6L6b3aaT3dk4ZIvemz&index=6
(Film: Building Big: Skyscrapers - 1:04:48)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOdnHYvIZ74
(Film: Birth of the Skyscraper - 08:08)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM_MgeHk5Cg
(Film: Superstructures - Skyscrapers - 51:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy8tDcdUUJY
(Film: Why NY's Skyscrapers Keep Changing Shape - 27:31)
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
