When Skyscrapers Looked Like Cathedrals

foreign years the Great Pyramid of Giza remained the tallest human-made structure in the world when its record was finally beaten it was by the cathedrals of medieval Europe with its Spire reaching 160 meters into the sky blinking cathedral in England was arguably the first building to become taller than the ancient pyramid the Spire has since been lost but for centuries to come other Cathedrals would continue to hold the record built in the gothic style they stroll to allow ever more light into their interiors and a soar ever higher into the sky the gothic Cathedrals were like the skyscrapers of their Dame and this similarity was not lost on The Architects of the early 20th century as American cities were being transformed by the Advent of the skyscraper Architects were searching for a suitable style to express the height of these towers and the dynamism of the Modern Age the answer to some could be found in the architecture of the gothic Cathedral and this mix between modern engineering and medieval decoration would result in some of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world foreign [Music] F.W Woolworth the founder of a brand of popular five and tencent stores began planning a new headquarters for his company that would be developed together with the Irving National Exchange Bank having purchased the rectangular plot of land along Broadway in New York City he commissioned architect Cass Gilbert to design a 12 to 16 story tall commercial building inspired by the Palace of Westminster in London the plans were revised several times resulting in an ever taller building and when it was finished in 1913 the 12 to 16 stories had turned into 60. [Music] with its height of 792 feet or 241 meters the Woolworth Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world a record that it would keep all the way until 1930. decorated with complex Gothic tracery and crowned by once gilded pyramidal roof this elegant building was hailed as the Cathedral of Commerce its ornate's cruciform Lobby which is outfitted with Greek marble and a ceiling of glass mosaics is considered one of the most spectacular of the early 20th century in New York City the building was a showcase for modern technology boasting high-speed elevators and a dedicated power plant serving the more than 12 000 people who worked here upon completion the Woolworth company itself only occupied one and a half floors but profited from running out Spain's to others among the early tenants was Colombia Records who made what are considered to be the first ever Jazz recordings in a studio here in 1917. the famous inventor Nikola Tesla also occupied an office in the Woolworth Building beginning in 1914 although he was evicted after a year having failed to pay his rent the Woolworth company continued to own the building until 1998 and in the past decade the top 30 floors have been redeveloped into Luxury Apartments um foreign the First United Methodist Church of Chicago was founded in 1831 six years before the city was incorporated having held its first services in the homes of its members in 1834 the growing congregation built a log cabin north of the Chicago River a few years later the cabin was floated across the river and rolled on logs to the church's present site at the corner of Washington and the clock streets over the course of the 19th century the initial cabin was succeeded by a series of larger buildings but after World War One there were those who believed that the church should sell its valuable downtown real estate and move to the growing suburbs instead the leaders decided to stain and to build something truly spectacular on the site completed in 1924 the Chicago temple building as a skyscraper that not only mimics the style of the medieval Cathedrals it actually functions as a religious building it contains 23 floors and Rising 568 feet or 173 meters it was the tallest building in Chicago until 1930. it isn't only used by the church however in fact most of it is rented out as office space which prevents it from being ranked as the tallest church building in the world [Music] nonetheless it contains an ornate neogotic Sanctuary on the first floor capable of seeding around 500 people the top of the building is also used for religious purposes the sky Chapel which is located under the Spire some 400 feet 120 meters above the streets of the city was created in 1952 as a gift from the Walgreens family and memory of Charles wallgreen the founder of the pharmacy chain bearing his name with seating for 30 people and decorated with 16 stained glass windows this is considered the world's highest worship space [Music] Tribune tar is the product of one of the most famous architecture competitions of the 20th century in 1922 the Chicago Tribune announced its intention to construct a new headquarters and invited Architects to propose to signs the stated goal was to create quote the most beautiful office building in the world and a total of one hundred thousand dollars was offered in prize money for the 50 000 going to the winner the competition worked brilliantly as a publicity stunt it generated massive press coverage and attracted 263 entries from 23 countries made in a dizzying range of styles many relied heavily on the architecture of the past whereas others anticipated the austere forms of Bauhaus modernism [Music] one of the more eccentric proposals was made by the Austrian architect Adolf Lewis who turned the building into an enormous Doric column A pun on the columns printed in the newspaper the entry that many perceived to be the best was by the Finnish architect Elian sarnam inspired by the upward sweep of Gothic architecture he created a modern design that would go on to serve as a strong influence on the next generation of skyscrapers his entry took second place in the competition the winning design by New York Architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood was more conservative and criticized by some for its perceived historicism completed in 1925 it reached a height of 462 feet or 141 meters above ground and was stopped by a crown instead of a Spire a design Choice derived from the late Gothic butter Tower of Ryan cathedral in France embedded into the building's space are fragments for more than 120 structures ranging from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Great Wall of China while the lobby features inscriptions of patriotic passages and ringing defenses of press freedom in 2018 the Chicago Tribune ended their 93-year stint at Tribune Tower and moved to one Prudential possum the building has since been converted into condos serving as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus the Cathedral of Learning was one of the last great neogotic skyscrapers to be built and as the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere it was the brainchild of John gabbard Bowman who became the 10th Chancellor of the University in 1921. after assuming his position he began to dream of a tall building that would serve as a symbol of education for the city and Inspire children to seek higher education he hired Charles clauder one of the foremost Gothic architects of the time to decide on the tower after two years the plans were ready and construction went ahead in 1926. the first classes compelled in the building five years later although its formal dedication wasn't held until June 1937. thank you the project wasn't without its detractors at a height of 535 feet 163 meters it was considered by some to be too tall for the city to get the public on board and at the same time Finance the construction Bowman started a fundraising campaign an important part of it was to ask local children to contribute 10 cents to quote buy a brick for the cathedral in return they would get a certificate stating that they owned the part of the building and more than 97 000 of these certificates are estimated to have been issued Bowman also involved the community by allowing each nationality that had a significant number of people in Pittsburgh to sign their own room in the cathedral known as the nationality rooms there are now as many as 31 of them most of which function as classrooms the most grand space in the building is the commons room called one of the great architectural fantasies of the 20th century it is a Hall built in the English perpendicular Gothic style that covers half an acre or 2 000 square meters and extends upwards four stories reaching 52 feet or 16 meters from floor to ceiling it's a piece of true Gothic construction with arches being able to support their own weight without the use of Steel Carter considered the commons room to be his greatest achievement since 1975 the Cathedral of Learning has been listed in the National register of historic places and today Kathy as the building is colloquially called by many students and residents remains a beloved part of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus the popularity of the gothic skyscraper lasted for a relatively short period in the first few Decades of the 20th century the style was criticized by modernists for the use of historicist ornament on steel frame buildings and was superseded by Art Deco which Incorporated some of its elements yet the gothic skyscrapers left a strong mark on the culture of the Dane inspiring writers and filmmakers and have become some of the most beloved examples of American architecture [Music]

Channel: Kings and Things

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Length: 11min 6sec (666 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 30 2023