233 Broadway
Architect: Cass Gilbert
Date Constructed: 1913
12th tallest in NYC (as of 2004)
Height: 792 ft (241 m); 57 floors.

Many find the Woolworth building to be one of the most attractive elements of New York’s skyline; the elegant structure was called the “cathedral of commerce” when it was built and it was the tallest building in the world from 1913 until 1930. The design is neo–Gothic, with finials and small spires accenting the main tower. Subtle shading creates the illusion of shadow and adds to the sense of verticality.

F.W. Woolworth paid $13 million in cash to have it built, and the lobby includes a carved representation of him counting coins. In 1998, when the chain went out of business, the building was sold for $155 million to the Witkoff Group.