How New York was built: architectural experiments and the first skyscrapers

How did New York transform from a small town into a huge metropolis, famous all over the world? When and by whom was the first skyscraper built, and when did the boom in the construction of skyscrapers take place in the city that never sleeps? These questions are answered by the author of the ADJIP Architecture channel on the site Yandex Zen.

How New York was born

It was once a small town that only its native inhabitants knew about.

Then Christopher Columbus discovered America. This event allowed the inhabitants of the Old World to learn about the existence of a new part of the world - America, consisting of two continents.

The chronology shows that America expanded from East to West and eventually reached what is now California. At that time, New York became the most important city, and all trade routes were laid from European cities to the ports of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The city grew and expanded - first to the North, then to all other directions. Downtown was the most important part of the city, where all trade transactions took place. It is in this area that the modern history of New York City originated.

Who built New York

The construction of the city was carried out by both local builders and architects, and foreign ones.

It was especially actively built up in the 1664th century. “Although it is impossible to give an exact date for the peak. It can be noted that the city developed taking into account the income from trade, - the author writes. - The most famous lithographs say that in XNUMX the city texture was gradually "gaining tone", for New York this is a really important event. The architecture has evolved every year, and at the end of the XNUMXth century, the Brooklyn Bridge was built, which, running over the East River, looks noble and looks free. "

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Interestingly, the history of New York is similar to the history of St. Petersburg - the construction was strictly controlled by the governors.

The number of storeys of buildings ranged from two to four until about the middle of the XNUMXth century.

Then they began to build buildings on a steel frame. “Chicago architects came to New York to stage“ Architectural Experiments. They built buildings higher than 6 floors, ”the author noted.

Later in New York they erected the very first skyscraper... Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day, since it was demolished in 1955. “This is the New York World Building, a 104-meter building towered on Park Row. This is a large street, passing through the Financial Center, Chinatown and facing the residential areas of Manhattan, towards Midtown, - explains the author. - The architect of the project is the American architect George B. Post. The building was built for the world famous American publisher and journalist Joseph Pulitzer. His office resembled a semicircular hall; it was located on the upper floors. The project was inspired by the author's attitude to the powerful and colorful details of aesthetic architecture. "

The first skyscraper was higher than the Church of the Holy Trinity. The present building of the temple was erected in 1846 by R. Upjohn in the neo-Gothic style. At the time of construction, it was the tallest building in New York, had an 85-meter spire with a cross. It remained the highest altitude record holder until 1890, before the construction of the New York World Building.

The Mnahattan Life Insurance Building has become second skyscraper, built in New York, located on Broadway. The construction was carried out by Charles Saysmith. “Perhaps this is one of the oldest high-rise buildings in New York and in America in general, which still exists in our time,” said the author.

The skyscraper was built in 1894. Its height without the spire is 100 meters, which is not so small when compared with other buildings of that time.

Third skyscraper appeared in New York in 1902. This is the famous Iron House, or Flatiron Building. It became the first high-rise building in New York to become one of the city's icons. “The building was built in the style of an exquisite Italian Renaissance. Subtle proportions and even distribution of details throughout the facade give the building a unique aesthetics, the author emphasizes. "22 floors make the Flatiron Building moderate and graceful against the backdrop of nearby buildings."

The architect of this building is Daniel Burnham.

Migration boom and a new era in construction

“New York took on a migration boom in 1890-1919, when they began to build the first skyscrapers,” the author writes. - Over time, the city surpassed other world megacities in population, becoming in 1925 the most populous city on the planet. And so, at the very beginning of the XX century, New York becomes a city of skyscrapers, headed by such buildings as the Chrysler Building and the Woolworth Building. "

The most densely populated areas of the city are Downtown and Midtown. The first skyscrapers appeared in the north of Downtown.

“Many buildings of the early XX century were built in the Bozar style, an elegant and luxurious trend in the architecture of the XIX-XX centuries, - the author notes. - The architecture of Manhattan is famous for this. In every old skyscraper one can see a reflection of noble luxury. "

Office buildings and hotels in New York were built in this style in those days.

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From the first decade of the XX century, buildings began to rapidly "gain height". “A single color is formed that is typical of the old high-rise architecture of Manhattan. The neo-Gothic era began. Skyscrapers "love" symmetry, static in the window lines is outlined, "the author explained.

Among the buildings constructed in this style are the Park Row Building, Woolworth Building, Singer Building, Metlife Building and other luxury offices.

All of them were built between 1895 and 1920.

Architectural competition

“Considering the process of building skyscrapers, we see that the first thing they did was erect a steel frame, the building was completely“ dressed ”in stone neo-Gothic facades,” the author specified.

Gradually, skyscrapers turned into monuments through which you can study the history of architecture. “After all, architecture is art carved in stone, it is an important source of art, along with literature, religion and sculpture,” he added.

Many new skyscrapers were built between 1890 and 1920. All of them expanded the area of ​​Downtown and New York's financial center, forming a single district height.

Architects then competed with each other, so every year a building was built in the city that was higher in height than the neighboring one. “New York can also be called the site of architectural competition. But these competitions were held neatly, so that the urban environment of Manhattan was not disturbed by the constant construction of high-rise buildings, ”added the author.

One of the famous monuments of neo-Gothic architecture of the early 1913th century was the Woolworth Building. In 1930-XNUMX it was the tallest building in the world.

It was built in 1910-1913 as the headquarters of the FW Woolworth Company retail chain, then owned by socialite Barbara Hutton. “Entrepreneur Frank Woolworth decided to build a chic skyscraper, unique and original. Cass Gilbert became the architect, - the author specified. "This is the most beautiful building in New York, on a par with the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building."

Americans call it "the temple of commerce." “But this is not only an office building, but also residential apartments, shops, the most atmospheric ocean views and noble surroundings,” he added.

The luxurious building, built in the Gothic style, stands out from the neighboring ones. “The upper floors of the Woolworth Building are home to beautiful, pillared offices. The interiors of the building are made in the Art Deco style in the lobby with the use of Empire details, ”the author writes.

Today, this building has become a museum both outside and inside.

High-rise construction peak

The construction of more and more skyscrapers in Manhattan continued. “The epoch of 1890-1920 can be safely called a transitional time of American architecture from Dutch and English to architecture of luxury and pretentiousness, which in one word is called“ bozar ”. Moreover, not only bozar became the dominant style in New York, but also neo-gothic, empire style, ”the author explains.

After 1925, the era of skyscrapers began, the number of storeys exceeding 70-80, and the height increased by a whole level - from 90-100 meters to 200 and more.

Among the famous buildings built in those years are the Empire State or the Chrysler Building, which are just over 200 meters high.

“The era of skyscrapers in the United States began in 1870-1880, and in New York a little later - in 1890, when the first skyscraper New-York-World-Building was built. The peak of high-rise construction in the Big Apple begins in the 1920s. After 1913, after the construction of the Woolworth Building, New York architects began to practice the construction of buildings higher than 70-80 floors, "the author summed up.