ny "Tallest building in the world!!" thru history

**thomasjfletcher** · May 3rd, 2005, 08:39 AM

THE PARK ROW BUILDING

Tallest building in the world, 1899-1908.
119m / 391ft, 30 floors

Singer Building
Tallest building in the world, 1908-1909
612 feet (187 meters) 41-stories

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

700 feet (213 meters)
Tallest building in the world, 1909-1913

THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING
Tallest building in the world, 1913-1930
792 feet, 241 meters. 55-stories.

TRUMP BUILDING
Tallest building in the world, 1930-1930
281,8m / 927.0ft. 72 floors.

Chrysler Building
Tallest building in the world, 1930-1931
77 floors, 319.5m (1048 feet)

Empire State Building
Tallest building in the world, 1931-?

World Trade Center
Tallest building in the world, 1970-1973
110 floors rising 1,353 feet

www.nyc-architecture.com

**Eugenius** · May 3rd, 2005, 10:06 AM

You can write in 1970 as the last year of the ESB's being tallest. It was surpassed in 1970 by the WTC.

**GLNY** · May 3rd, 2005, 10:32 AM

Good to see the Commodore Hotel on 42nd Street west of the Chrysler Building. The form is familiar, and the skeleton's still in place; sadly, it's all buried now beneath Donald's ill-conceived skin graft.

**NYatKNIGHT** · May 3rd, 2005, 11:48 AM

Love that ESB painting.

Did the NY World and St. Paul buildings hold the WTB title?

**thomasjfletcher** · May 3rd, 2005, 01:20 PM

I had real problems finding a history of the world's tallest buildings.

The New York Tribune Building, 1875. described at the time as "the highest building on Manhattan Island," but the spire was shorter than that on Trinity Church (285 feet).

Washington Building, 1882-85. The "tallest office building in the world". 258ft.

World Building, 1889 or 1890 309-349 ft

Manhattan Life Insurance Building,, 1894. In 1894, this was "the tallest building in the U.S." 348 ft.

St. Paul Building, 1898. "Tallest building in the US" when it was completed. 315-325 ft.

Times Building, NY, NY, 1905. 476 to top of flag pole

As so many of these buildings claimed to be the "tallest building in the world" it's a bit confusing.

**TLOZ Link5** · May 3rd, 2005, 05:56 PM

Ugh to the Manhattan Life Company Building. A beautiful front façade, but just say no to bare party walls.

Wasn't the St. Paul Building demolished after something like 18 years?

**BrooklynRider** · May 4th, 2005, 08:41 AM

I do believe that Philadelphia's City Hall held the WTB title for a while.

**thomasjfletcher** · May 4th, 2005, 10:22 AM

Remarkable, doesn't seem that tall. I wish somebody had a definitive list of the wtb over the last 2 centuries or so.....!

**TLOZ Link5** · May 4th, 2005, 04:32 PM

I think that Philly's City Hall isn't counted as having been a former WTB for the same reasons that churches and cathedrals weren't: all of the office space was in the lower nine stories of the building, and the tower itself is just a tower, with no purpose other than to be aesthetically pleasing.

**thomasjfletcher** · May 4th, 2005, 05:21 PM

makes me homesick- philly has more than a passing resemblance to Sydney town hall!

**1Tribeca** · May 6th, 2005, 09:47 PM

Shouldn't the American Int'l building be in there too? Beautiful skyscraper!!

**BrooklynRider** · May 8th, 2005, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by TLOZ Link5

I think that Philly's City Hall isn't counted as having been a former WTB for the same reasons that churches and cathedrals weren't: all of the office space was in the lower nine stories of the building, and the tower itself is just a tower, with no purpose other than to be aesthetically pleasing.

Ah - Makes sense.

Maybe it laid claim to being the the country's tallest structure at one point?

But thanks, I've yet to make it down there during a time period where I can get on a tour of the place.

Sorry - Tangent - back to topic.