West Street Building (now 90 West Street)

Abstract

THE WEST STREET BUILDING is a Gilded Age skyscraper, a celebration of wealth and culture in terra cotta, but also incorporates some of the most forward-looking ideas in skyscraper design. From Louis Sullivan, Cass Gilbert took the idea of clearly expressing the underlying steel structure: broad piers that support the West Street Building rise without interruption from street level to an arcaded crown, while decorative, three-quarter-round colonettes run only the length of the shaft. The shaft’s overall verticality is emphasized by its simple lines and recessed spandrels. Rows of windows between the piers form nearly uninterrupted perpendicular strips of glazing, adding to the airiness and openness of the façade.