HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2009, 5:29 PM
DamienK's Avatar
DamienK DamienK is offline
Light your Heart
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 287
A History of the Singer Building Construction from 1908!

I have always been fascinated by the Singer Building, the world's tallest building from 1908 to 1909. I was never able to find much information on it, until today, when I stumbled upon a treasure - an online scanned version of a 1908 publication on the skyscraper!

The 127 page book includes photos during and after construction, plans, and details on all aspects of the tower, including the interior furnishings and mechanical equipment.

Enjoy!

http://www.archive.org/details/histo...gerb00semsrich













__________________
21st Century Coeds - come for the girls, stay for the story!
Read the webcomic

Last edited by DamienK; Jul 24, 2009 at 5:44 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jul 24, 2009, 7:55 PM
ethereal_reality's Avatar
ethereal_reality ethereal_reality is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lafayette/West Lafayette IN, Purdue U.
Posts: 16,326
That's a great find.
Thanks for posting them DamienK.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Jul 25, 2009, 12:23 AM
Duffstuff129's Avatar
Duffstuff129 Duffstuff129 is offline
Charismatic Stallion
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Manhattan
Posts: 579
I swear if I ever somehow come into a billion dollars, I will rebuild this building some where in New York.

Great find!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Jul 25, 2009, 8:07 AM
Dylan Leblanc's Avatar
Dylan Leblanc Dylan Leblanc is offline
Website Manager
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 9,318
hi Damien thanks for posting!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2009, 4:37 PM
DamienK's Avatar
DamienK DamienK is offline
Light your Heart
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 287
No worries! I saw this and thought: this is too good to not share.

Think about it, this was the tallest office building in the world in the first decade of the 20th century. All those who have worked on this great structure have died many years ago. And the building itself was razed more than 40 years back. If not for photos and this publication, it would be like it never existed.

I wish it could be rebuilt, but it would never have compared to having it here, aged from a century of occupied use.

The Metropolitan Life Building (the next record holder, also in New York) is turning 100 this year, but I still prefer the Singer Building.
__________________
21st Century Coeds - come for the girls, stay for the story!
Read the webcomic
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2009, 5:35 PM
urbanlife's Avatar
urbanlife urbanlife is offline
A before E
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Milwaukie, Oregon
Posts: 11,752
great find, the Singer building is one of my favorites and it upsets me that the city decided to tear it down so they could build a big glass box with more office space in its place.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 1:55 AM
ethereal_reality's Avatar
ethereal_reality ethereal_reality is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lafayette/West Lafayette IN, Purdue U.
Posts: 16,326
Here's a pic for you DamienK.




detail of photo I purchased on ebay

Last edited by ethereal_reality; Aug 7, 2010 at 7:05 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 3:15 AM
ethereal_reality's Avatar
ethereal_reality ethereal_reality is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lafayette/West Lafayette IN, Purdue U.
Posts: 16,326

ebay find

Last edited by ethereal_reality; Aug 7, 2010 at 7:06 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 3:38 AM
texcolo's Avatar
texcolo texcolo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Posts: 4,304
The crown of this building would have made the penultimate condo.
__________________
"I am literally grasping at straws." - Bob Belcher
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 9:32 PM
JDRCRASH JDRCRASH is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: San Gabriel Valley
Posts: 8,087
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duffstuff129 View Post
I swear if I ever somehow come into a billion dollars, I will rebuild this building some where in New York.

Great find!
Indeed, having it replaced by Liberty Plaza was bittersweet when I first learned of it. I would definitely rebuild this in LA. (maybe the Historic Core).
__________________
Revelation 21:4
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Aug 29, 2009, 3:34 PM
DetroitSky's Avatar
DetroitSky DetroitSky is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Detroit
Posts: 2,440
Great find!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Aug 29, 2009, 6:05 PM
wrab's Avatar
wrab wrab is offline
Deerhoof Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3,670
Wow - great thread for a great old tower. That interior shot is really pretty astonishing in its modernity - not at all what I'd expected.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2009, 8:19 PM
wrab's Avatar
wrab wrab is offline
Deerhoof Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3,670
Quote:
Originally Posted by texcolo View Post
The crown of this building would have made the penultimate condo.
.....The ultimate condo being the crown of the Chrysler, or penthouse at the Top of the Rock, or maybe better still the dirigible mooring deck of the ESB. Runner up for penultimate condo to the top floors of the Tribune Tower in Chicago, which aren't very high but look out at the buttresses and ooze Gotham atmosphere.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Aug 5, 2010, 6:45 PM
MolsonExport's Avatar
MolsonExport MolsonExport is offline
The Vomit Bag.
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Otisburgh
Posts: 44,716
stumbled into this thread by accident. wonderful stuff on my favorite destroyed building
__________________
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."-President Lyndon B. Johnson Donald Trump is a poor man's idea of a rich man, a weak man's idea of a strong man, and a stupid man's idea of a smart man. Am I an Asseau?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2010, 7:34 AM
RLS_rls's Avatar
RLS_rls RLS_rls is offline
▓▒░
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 1,601
I have to agree with wrabbit, that interior shot is impressive! This must have been considered a very modern building when finished. But look at the floorplates....they're tiny!

I wonder if the Singer Building had survived another 20 years if it would have been converted into condos?

edit: oh yeah and why does the second picture mention the Lusitania?
__________________
ಠ_ಠ
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2010, 9:15 AM
mthq's Avatar
mthq mthq is offline
Registirred User
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Alaska
Posts: 11,026
As mentioned above, the interior shots took me by surprise. Interesting to read that it was also the first building ever to be illuminated at night.
__________________
Whatever happened to edsas? Cool guy, that one.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Aug 7, 2010, 5:47 PM
stormkingfan stormkingfan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: PhilaPA
Posts: 503
Big mistake to have taken this bldg down! One Liberty Plaza could have been built in Mid-town. The Singer Bldg. screams, New York! New York! New York!!!

That shot, showing the detail of the crown, is something I just couldn't take my eyes off of. It's almost mesmerizing.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #18  
Old Posted Aug 7, 2010, 6:02 PM
KevinFromTexas's Avatar
KevinFromTexas KevinFromTexas is offline
Meh
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: there and back again
Posts: 57,324
Awesome find. Yeah, I've always been fascinated by it too. It's one of those buildings you really wish you could have back. That elevation drawing that shows the heights of the building, even including the flagpole, is neat.
__________________
Donate to Donald Trump's campaign today!

Thou shall not indict
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #19  
Old Posted Aug 7, 2010, 6:31 PM
wrab's Avatar
wrab wrab is offline
Deerhoof Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3,670
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #20  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2010, 2:59 AM
yarabundi's Avatar
yarabundi yarabundi is offline
Homo Platoregimontis
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Montréal
Posts: 3,320
What a loss : this building and the old Penn Station !! Thanks. I'm always fascinated by early skyscraper's construction pics !!
__________________
"Je suis contre les femmes...tout contre !!"
Sacha Guitry

Come to see our SC4 cities at http://www.toutsimcity.com/forums/af....php?forum=vil
or here : http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=117089
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 5:25 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.