New York’s LOST Skyscraper - The Rise and Fall of SINGER TOWER - IT'S HISTORY

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I wonder if we can bring it back...

👍︎︎ 1 👤︎︎ u/Slow_Imagination_145 📅︎︎ Sep 01 2021 🗫︎ replies
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The beginning of the twentieth century, a one-of-a-kind tower rose above the skyline of New York City, a total masterpiece of architecture and engineering unlike anything seen before. Some even when as far as comparing this great property to the Egyptian pyramids, not only would this be the tallest building in the world but it would also exhibit futuristic technology. So, why might you ask? Is this a tale of urban decay? Well, because the marvel was demolished in 1968 and replaced by a total monstrosity and despite photographs of its greatness, the legacy has been nearly forgotten. This is the story of Singer Tower. I'm your host Ryan Socash and you're watching It's History. Have a look at New York City's North River in sixteen seventy-nine. This is the first known graphic documentation of the area and if we focus on the lots, we'll see a pasture that belonged to John Haberting which was sold in 1722 for only $600 but beyond it, off in the horizon, you'll notice a massive cross. This is the exact location where the world's tallest building would be erected over 200 years later. At the turn of The Singer Manufacturing Company needed to expand their Manhattan office to accommodate a rapidly growing workforce. In the process, this American manufacturer of sewing machines was also going to make a big gesture. Located in the financial district on the corner of Liberty Street in Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Land values had reached a phenomenal high. So, a trend to build into the sky was mounting. Hence, Frederick Gilbert Bourne, an American businessman and the fifth President of the Singer manufacturing company between 1889 and 1905 commissioned the construction of his new tower with earnest flag as head architect and designer. On September the nineteenth nineteen oh six, the work began by running a steam line from the old building for the operation of air compressors needed for the sinking of foundation caseons. Cranes with seventy-five foot masks and a capacity forty tons were also set up. This project will difficult from the start as the building foundation went far below the water line. Men were required to work in pressurized environments which was a new and very dangerous technology. Another extreme difficulty was the lack of space as the construction site was on one of the most congested parts of the city. At street level, the crew had less than 100 feet of space to work within. So a solution to have a constant two-truck rotation of material coming in or waste going out as well as having parts pre-assembled off site when possible. These measures helped synergize the operation. One of the more complicated shipments was for the ribs of the dome which were awkwardly shaped and rose to great heights. The sheer amount of material was amazing. For example, the brick face required delivery of over 5 million bricks so people below watched with great curiosity. The concept for the building incorporated parts of Bozart and second empire style. No expense was spared in providing every modern device for comfort and convenience and the safety of the tenants. What's more, the design called for the tower to be set far back from street line so that the executive offices on the thirty-third through fortieth floor would have nearly zero noise pollution or dust. Not to mention, a magnificent view. The technological amenities went far beyond luxurious and were controlled below ground in the engineering room by a massive staff. The building was so complex that it basically required an operation comparable to that of a ship crew to run what was one of the most complex engineering rooms in the city. For starters, the engine room contained the building's very own power plant. Providing current to nearly 4,000 outlets and grand lobby lighting set to offer a daylight effect at night. Furthermore, the exterior was illuminated by 3018 inch projectors designed by electric. The power plant consisted of five units with the capacity of 1.4000 kilowatts. Another room was solely dedicated to the disposal of paper waste with the use of a gigantic press. Paper could be disposed of to this point by various shoots throughout the tower. There were also vacuum pumps to power the centralized vacuum system with outlets in each office. Although this was not the first time such a system was installed. The Singer Building had vacuum service 24/7 which was unique. Obviously, the entire building was outfitted with central heat so the furnace chambers were sprawling. Every suit had its own thermostat so that tenants could adjust the temperature as needed. 1.2000 in total. However, this part of luxury probably came at a serious environmental cost from today's perspective as heating the building when the temperature was below zero consumed two tons of per hour. Now, take it off topic here but if this was just the coal required for the heating, imagine how much the power plant might have consumed and now, imagine that every other building in the city was also burning solids. But don't worry because these numbers are only alarming from today's perspective. In nineteen oh eight, when the building was finished, it was considered to be highly efficient and environmentally friendly and the news only gets better because if you were to be inside of the Singer Tower, you were breathing centralized filtered air. The air quality was also taken care of by the engineers. For starters, all toilets were ventilated into shafts by means of electric fans. So-called room air was washed, cleansed, and humidified in the building's spray chambers and eliminator. Basically, air would pass through four sheets of water to remove dust and in the summer time create a cooling effect. Moving on, there was a refrigeration plan for the cooling of drinking water used throughout the building. Sinks were fitted with push-button taps delivering a choice of hot, cold, and icy water. But not before running through a filtration plant to ensure the best quality. Water pressure was also an issue as the building soared to never before seen heights. This was solved by massive pumps that sent water up to various holding tanks harnessing gravity to do the rest. There was also an entire secondary system of pumps and tanks for the New York City Fire Department. In total, there were about 750 plumbing fixtures and when looking at this chart, you'll notice that the water works go practically up to the lantern. Speaking of the lantern, this is probably my favorite feature of the building. Let's start with the flagpole that extended sixty-two feet above the lantern beneath it which would have been 612 feet above Broadway And because architects realized that it would be taking frequent lightning hits, they utilized a quality iron as opposed to a custom air wooden mass. The pole sink into the lower floor of the lantern and was extremely difficult to erect requiring immaculate precision. The lantern itself was deceptive as it seemed small from street level. An illusion of scale. In reality this part of the tower alone would have been the size of a five story building. To reach the lantern, you would have taken elevator number six to the fortieth floor and from there, follow a path of ladders and steep open stairs before reaching the highest attic in the world. You would have then opened a small trap door and found yourself on a small platform 600 feet above New York City. This was the place where the singer flag would be raised and lowered. Below the lantern was the dome with an observation deck and executive suites. According to records, this was the most dangerous aspect of construction as the job involved mystifying heights, steep angles, and no footholds. There was also the risk of simply being blown away by a gust of wind. Furthermore, this part of the building was extra distinguished by the masonry cut stonework which included over 4 million pounds of limestone above the thirty-third floor. Obviously, this was also an impractical height for such a heavy material. This part of the tower is where the observation deck was located and where the company directors enjoyed the entire thirty-fourth floor furnished with mahogany furniture. The electric clock system was also a feed of engineering known as the magneta electric clock system. A series of batteries and contact points controlled time throughout the entire building as governed by one master clock which wound itself automatically. The master clock kept time for all other clocks with an independent network of wires which were fully insulated by a heavy rubber to avoid interference to the time keeping by other currents. The engineering room contained a massive telephone switchboard which allowed for calls to be placed outside the building as well as internally. The internal network could even access the towers bank of high-speed elevators. The Otis electric company had set up its elevator plant on the fortieth floor Enabling visitors to reach amazing heights on a single ride. The car capacity was 2,500 pounds at 600 feet per minute with a freight capacity of 5,000 pounds but at a much slower speed. The elevator cars had safety locks for loading and unloading as well as safety mechanisms to prevent free fall. These elevators were high tech running on a system using electric light signals. The chief engineer had an indicator board displaying the given location of all cars at any given time. Visitors were also amazed by the new technology of automatic doors. Sadly, in the building's first few months, the elevators were involved in at least two deaths. A painter was decapitated while a plumber's assistant was crushed between the elevator cab and a shaft. The singer building also had a massive vault setting records for the time. The tower was officially completed in 1908 and oh to the public surpassing Philadelphia City Hall building in terms of being the tallest building in the world. The building soon became a symbol of Manhattan especially at night when the floodlet tower stood out. It remained the tallest building in the world until the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower was completed a year later. Located at 24th street in Madison Avenue also in New York City. Lucky for them, their masterpiece still stands. By not the hype had cooled down and the first signs that the singer flag might not fly above New York City forever appeared when the building was listed for sale at 10 million dollars. 4 years later, a deal with utility power and light corporation was made for the acquisition of the property. Although an agreement involving an 8.5000000 dollar cash transaction was made. The sale never actually finalized according to company records. However, the seed was planted and the following years would gradually see decisions that I could best describe as degenerate with regards to the artistry of Singer Tower. The lighting system went through many changes and the building began to fade into the skyline of New York, no longer appearing in its nearly arrogant glory. In nineteen thirty-nine, the copper ornamental dome of the tower was restored but the detriment of the tower's appearance as elements began to be changed. In nineteen forty-seven, the flagpole and the roof crestings were removed and the famous face of the building so loved by many New Yorkers was slowly becoming a bastardized version of itself. In nineteen forty-nine, there was an electric fire that left one person injured and in nineteen fifty-eight, the front revolving doors were replaced by standard ones. At the next year, the historic and beautiful elevators were replaced to comply with new codes. Two large storefronts on the first floor of the building were turned into many smaller spaces. Other skyscrapers surpassed the Singer Building in height and the tower entered obscurity. By nineteen fifty-eight, it was the sixteenth tallest building in the city. Just 50 years after it had been built, it was barely noteworthy. In nineteen sixty-one, the company announced that it was moving to Rockefeller Center and that the building was to be sold but for real this time. Lake Coven Rose bought the building and then sold it to Financial Plaza Incorporated almost right away according to property records. William Zachendorf, a real estate developer, bought the building and unsuccessfully tried to move the New York Stock Exchange there but the final nail in the coffin occurred in nineteen sixty-four. When United States Steel bought the building and other neighboring buildings in an attempt to demolish the entire block and build a fifty-four story tall headquarters. A decision that probably came down to square footage. In nineteen sixty-five, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission was created and their goal was to save and preserve many of the notable buildings in New York City that were being demolished. The Singer Building was one of the most iconic buildings in the city at one point but despite that, it was not given landmark status. This meant that the commission could not protect it from demolition. Sam Roberts, an New York Times writer was quoted in saying that it wasn't considered worth preserving. Compared to other buildings in the city, the executive commissioner said, had it been given landmark status, the city would have had to find someone to buy it which would have proven a great challenge. Although, I'm only speculating right now, it could be assumed that the maintenance expense of complex masonry work far above public sidewalks would have been spectacularly pricey to upkeep in my day and spectacularly dangerous if neglected. When it comes down to it, there were other buildings more worthy of saving in many people's eyes. So demolition began in September of 1967 and was completed by early nineteen sixty-nine. A writer for the New York Times said that the lobby looked like a bomb hit it. Another writer from the New York Daily commented that the singer fell victim to a melody called Prague it was true. Despite how magnificent it was in its heyday, the building would soon just become another small piece of the city that was rapidly growing throughout the twentieth century. The Singer Building was the tallest building to ever be demolished until the World Trade Center collapsed during the 911 attacks and it was the tallest building to be destroyed by its owners until 270 Park Avenue also known as JP Morgan Chase Tower was demolished in 2,000 nineteen. What is now known as One Liberty Plaza but was originally called the US steel building now stands in its place. Each building of the plaza is 37 thousand square feet which is much bigger than the 4,200 square feet of the Singer Tower offering twice the combined interior than the Singer Building did. The Singer Building was influential in many ways and cause people to discuss the ethics of building such tall structures. The architect on the project Ernest Flagg was known for being critical of many skyscrapers that already existed. He was an advocate for skyscraper reform and tried to convince the public that many tall skyscrapers blocked from reaching the surrounding streets and that it was a detriment to society so we might take away that the artistry in his great building was a compromise to a concept he was generally against. Imagine how he must be turning in his grave at the thought of what replaced his greatest work. On the other hand, Jason Barr, an architectural writer, has commented that the singer building was a transitional builder in terms of the development of skyscraper It was known for being an architectural triumph and showed the world the potential of steel-frame skyscrapers. It is a building that inspired the future of buildings to come. Some were actually happy to see the building go. A writer from the New York Globe called it an architectural giraffe in the early nineteen hundreds. Finally, and perhaps one of the best justifications for a wrecking ball was that some critics of the project had no the design would have made it very hard for people to be rescued from the tallest floors in the case of a fire or an emergency. The executives of the Singer Corporation could see the Statue of Liberty and the Port of New York from their office. Traders from all over the world would see their iconic building as they arrived to the shores of America. From an American perspective, we had a feeling of how big this company was in its day by the statements that they made but even when you travel the world now, 100 years later, their mark is noticeable everywhere. I learned about Singer Tower because I found a Singer sewing machine in a barn near the border of Ukraine. Of all places, this machine was one of the things that immigrants had taken back to their village after years of working in the States. Singer was such a significant company that wherever you travel in Europe and I believe many places in the United States, you'll come across their legacy. Hell, I am in a water tower in Northeastern Poland. What did I find? Architect Ernest Flagg said, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. More artistic conception than this tower would be hard to conceive. And it is doubtful if an equally magnificent tower will ever be built unless it is literally a copy of the Singer Building. A statement I couldn't agree more with. This script was largely based on Otto Francis' 1908 book, A History of the Singer Building Construction containing far more information on Singer Tower. I would love to further bring life to the memory of this great building by preparing an audiobook version of the publication here on its history. So, let me know if you like the idea by subscribing and sharing this video with friends. If we get 1,000 new subscribers, I will painstakingly record every word of a technical book from nineteen oh eight. Otherwise, check out our video on the Philadelphia Underground Concourses, our series Tao of Urban Decay and Our Daily Stories. This is Ryan Socash, signing off.
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Channel: IT'S HISTORY
Views: 1,187,962
Rating: 4.9172306 out of 5
Keywords: singer building, singer, empire state building, chrysler building, tallest buildings, model building, comparison of buildings, woolworth building (building), tallest buildings throughout history, world's tallest buildings in history, building videos, top buildings, tallest building, singer porsche, porsche singer, tall buildings, bright sun films, abandoned, tales of urban decay, forgotten buildings, abandoned buildings, lost marvels, new york history, new yorks lost history
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Length: 19min 42sec (1182 seconds)
Published: Thu Aug 26 2021
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