10 Best of Architecture in New York City – Buildings and Bridges

10 Best of Architecture in New York City – Buildings and Bridges (10 to 6)

10. St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 460 Madison Avenue. Architecture Style – Gothic. St. Patrick’s, designed by James Renwick, Jr., is the largest Gothic style cathedral in North America. It took 20 years to complete from 1858 to 1878. This is a must see building open to the public in Midtown.

9. Empire State Building. 350 5th Avenue. Architecture Style – Art Deco. Completed in 1931, the Empire State Building might be the most famous building in the world and was the tallest, with over 100 floors, for over 40 years. The building was designed by William F. Lamb of the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. The Empire State Building won the tallest building race in New York at the time, competing with the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street which were all under construction. You cannot miss this building in the NYC skyline, especially at night as the crown is lit brightly with floodlights each evening.

8. Hearst Tower. 300 West 57 Street. Architecture Style – Art Deco. Recently completed in 2006, the Hearst Tower was designed by architect Norman Foster. You will notice in person or in pictures that the Hearst Tower sits atop a six story base built in 1929. The original building was planned as a huge skyscraper in the 1920s but was never completed, because of the Great Depression. Therefore, only the six story base was completed. This building is considered the first “green” building in NYC.

7. Brownstones. Located throughout New York City. Architecture Style – Brownstone. Brownstones are row houses or townhouses that are common in many neighborhoods in New York City. They were most popular from the 1850s to the 1900s. The Brownstones were somewhat narrow and tall like Victorian style housing, and considered luxury housing for the wealthy who did not want to live in apartment buildings on the main streets.

6. Woolworth Building. 233 Broadway. Architecture Style – Neo-Gothic. The architect Cass Gilbert was responsible for design and construction of the Woolworth Building, completed in 1913. At the time is was the world’s tallest building surpassing the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower. Almost 100 years later, it is still one of NYC’s tallest skyscrapers.

10 Best of Architecture in New York City – Buildings and Bridges (5 to 1)

Read our other lists on New York City’s Culture & History.