Evan Biegel

Throughout the 19th century, New York City was becoming one of the world’s most desirable locations. One of the three most significant harbors on the east coast, next to Philadelphia and Boston, New York was accepting not only products, but people. European immigrants viewed New York, yet more broadly America, as a land of opportunity. In the latter part of the century, New York offered artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs a chance to expand upon their talents and pursue careers. However, this increasing population engendered an issue regarding space, or a lack thereof; small buildings were no longer suitable to house both citizens and businesses. In a confined area, building upward seemed to be the most practical solution, hence the skyscraper. Although skyscrapers had been introduced for the pure sake of creating more space, they impacted society and businesses in a seemingly ritualistic manner.

In terms of art and culture, New York City had always been in competition. In order to compete with Chicago’s Home Insurance Building, which was both completed in 1884 and the first building to consist of structural steel, architect Bradford Lee Gilbert planned to construct New York City’s first true skyscraper: The Tower Building. Completed in September 1889, the Tower Building was met with public skepticism although it had successfully fulfilled the demand for office space. Many people actually thought the building would blow over while others were concerned with fire safety. In the late 1800s, firemen were not able to reach the top of the building, a stunning forty-eight meters from the ground, which stirred up public concern. Towering over Broadway, a fire at the top could have caused the destruction of many smaller buildings.

Skyscrapers had also engendered issues regarding the role of women in both skyscraper construction and internal operations. For the most part, men dominated the scene, both before and after construction. Almost every architect was male, as well as office workers, until the construction of the Park Row Building in 1899. Considered the tallest building of the time, a magnificent twenty-nine stories, the Park Row Building hosted both male and female workers. The integration of women in the workplace raised moral concerns due to an abundance of tobacco smoke and profane language. Typically, female workers were either stenographers or typists. Within the Park Row Building, the Associated Press news agency utilized space subsequent to its incorporation in 1900. Later on, August Belmont’s Interborough Rapid Transit Company, an underground subway business, expanded its operations by renting office space in the Park Row Building.

As skyscrapers proved to benefit businesses and impact society in a positive manner, many architects shifted their previous work toward the construction of skyscrapers. In 1902, architect Daniel Burnham completed the city’s Flatiron Building. Due to its unique design, the skyscraper was socially acceptable by both New Yorkers and tourists, which led to its popularity as a subject of photographs. Not only was the Flatiron Building unique in design, but also in its incorporation of both industrial and personal businesses. Hosting various Macmillan-brand publishing companies, the Flatiron Building led to efficiency and productivity. In the early 1900s, companies did not have the luxury of email, which is why hosting a single company within one building was profitable. Business expansion became so prominent that if a large company did not confine its operations to a single building, it would be at a disadvantage. Moreover, the Flatiron Building was famous for its Flat Iron Restaurant and Café, which attracted both New Yorkers and tourists. Competing with homosexual bars, the skyscraper had also become a social setting for gay men.

The Flatiron Building was one of the first skyscrapers to house the capacity of a small city. Skyscrapers across New York began hosting shops, restaurants, tailors, libraries, etc. in addition to businesses and tenants. In 1915, architect Ernest Graham introduced the city to the Equitable Building. This skyscraper evoked competition between its lobby and Broadway. Since the lobby was on the same level as the street and included shops, bars, and merely life and class, the city’s inhabitants were inevitably lured into the building and off the street. Furthermore, in terms of art, skyscrapers wholly inspired New York’s poets and artists. Poet Sadakichi Hartmann and artist Alvin Langdon Coburn produced a lot of work reflecting skyscrapers.

Style was also an important factor in the construction of skyscrapers. Many architects were influenced by other cultures, thereby reflecting diverse cultural ideals and adding to New York City’s “melting pot.” One of the most controversial buildings of the early 20th century was the Woolworth Building. Constructed in 1913, the building was completed by architect Cass Gilbert and reflected Gothic Revival, in turn, also representing a church. This “fusion” between religion and business evoked much public controversy, as many people believed the two should remain separate.

The American Radiator Building of 1924 by architects John Howells and Raymond Hood depicted the common business operations within a skyscraper. As Hood was one of the first designers of radiator covers, it was necessary to rent office space within a skyscraper. However, due to the fact that a majority of skyscrapers could not suit his desired space, he was put in a position to design his own skyscraper. A majority of the company utilized office space for management while only one floor was dedicated to the company’s products—the basement show room. Hood’s company was actually an anomaly at the time as insurance companies dominated the occupation of skyscrapers; they contained a large amount of filings and clerical work, meetings, discussions, etc.

As skyscrapers had been, for the most part, publically accepted, many citizens glorified them. For instance, artist Louis Lozowick produced lithographs that depicted skyscrapers as the perfect place to operate a business or reside in.

This post-1920s era also utilized skyscrapers in movies. For example, in the 1930s, the Waldorf Hotel, prior to its becoming the Waldorf Astoria Building, became a popular subject in Hollywood productions because it offered an “interface between social classes, a field for the comedy of clashing manners and a neutral background of routine operations to give every incident dramatic relief.”

Finally, as businesses expanded as per their success within skyscrapers, they (skyscrapers) had inevitably portrayed wealth. The planning of the Rockefeller Center skyscraper in 1956, for instance, was worth about seventy million dollars. Rich companies occupied space within this skyscraper in order to expand their operations. For example, the forty-eight floors hosted Time and Life Magazines, the American Cyanamid Company, Shell Oil Company, McCann-Erickson Inc., and Esso Standard Oil Company. However, a majority of these companies were relocated due to a need for more office space, which is why the Rockefeller Center skyscraper began to only host the Time and Life Magazine companies; it was later renamed the Time-Life Building that presently exists.

It is quite clear that skyscrapers significantly influenced New York City in terms of society and business. Offering a great deal of opportunity, skyscrapers offered a new realm to citizens, one in which connected businesses with both average New Yorkers and tourists. Skyscrapers also gave New York an architectural identity, as proven through the dynamic change in its skyline. All in all, how would New York City, one of the most populated urban areas in the world, function without skyscrapers and how different would society actually be?