Singer Building

The Singer Building was an office building and early skyscraper in Manhattan, New York City. Serving as the headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company, it was at the northwestern corner of Liberty Street and Broadway in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The building was commissioned by Frederick Gilbert Bourne, leader of the Singer Company, and designed in multiple phases by architect Ernest Flagg, an early proponent of the Beaux-Arts architectural style, from 1897 to 1908.

The completed Singer Building was composed of a 14-story base covering the entire land lot, as well as a tower rising an additional 27 stories above a small section of the base. Included in the base were the original Singer Building at 149 Broadway, the Bourne Building on Liberty Street, and subsequent additions to both buildings. The facade was made of brick, stone, and terracotta, and the tower was capped by a dome with a lantern. The foundation of the tower was excavated to the underlying bedrock, while the base rested on relatively shallow foundations. The Singer Building used a steel skeleton, though the original structure was initially supported by load-bearing walls prior to modification. When completed, the building had a large lobby, 16 elevators, and an observatory.

Wikipedia