Learn how the biggest retail tycoon of the early twentieth century and a star architect changed the NYC skyline forever. Designed by the renowned architect Cass Gilbert in 1913 to be Frank W. Woolworths NYC headquarters, the Woolworth Building was the tallest in the world for 17 years. Long closed to the public, architectural tours of its magnificent vintage lobby are now available.

When the Woolworth Building was completed in 1913, it achieved instant renown as the highest skyscraper in the world. Cass Gilberts design was hailed by critics for the picturesqueness of its Gothic silhouette in skyline views. Its commanding central tower with soaring, syncopated verticals echoed the dynamism of the modern city. The towers upper stages, evocative of European cathedrals, bristled with a scenographic array of gables, tourelles, crockets, and finials. At the buildings base, a Tudor Gothic portal opened on axis to a monumental lobby recalling a Romanesque cathedral nave. Vaults surfaced with Byzantine mosaics, cornices of gilded tracery, and the lunette murals, Labor and Commerce, framed a gracious marble stair leading to the Irving National Exchange Bank.

The interiors first class office space, spacious in height and well-lit throughout, was complemented by a shopping arcade, health club with swimming pool, and a medieval German Rathskeller, all of which offered the finest amenities for tenants. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, the towers pinnacle observatory served as one of the citys leading tourist attractions. Visitors from around the world enjoyed a thrilling panorama of lower Manhattan and the coastal geography beyond.

For more information about the Woolworth Building and tours, visit www.woolworthtours.com. Don't miss this opportunity to see one of New York City's most prestigious landmarked buildings.