Early Skyscrapers, Photos, World’s Tallest Buildings, Highest Tower Designs Pictures

Early Skyscrapers Architecture : Tallest Buildings in the World

Key Early Towers across the Globe

Post updated 28 July 2024 ; 24 October 2021 ; post updated 16 Feb 2020

Skyscraper building designs

Early Skyscrapers – Major 20th Century Buildings

Some of the world’s highest skyscrapers + background on earlier skyscrapers

picture © Andrew McRae

Skyscraper Buildings listed chronologically

Flatiron Building, 23rd Street, Broadway/5th Avenue, New York, USA
Date built: 1902
Design: Daniel Burnham Architect
87m high
The Flatiron building is the original New York skyscraper

Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, New York City, NY, USA
Date built: 1913
Design: Cass Gilbert Architect
241m high
One of the first New York skyscrapers. Designed in a formal, symmetrical Gothic Revival style and originally nicknamed the Cathedral of Commerce. The Woolworth building was the tallest in the world from 1913 – 1930.
Refurbished 1977-81.

Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York City, NY, USA
Date built: 1930
Design: William Van Alen Architect

photo © Joe Lekas
Chrysler Building New York
318m high
An Art Deco skyscraper that is a world-famous symbol for New York. Tallest building globally on completion, taking over from the Eiffel Tower. It obviously was also the tallest building in New York until the Empire State Building was completed the following year. Refurbished 1995.

Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY, USA
Date built: 1931
Design: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Architects

image: Andrew McRae
Empire State New York
381m high skyscraper, Art Deco architecture – especially the tower interior, famous New York landmark.

Rockefeller Center, 5th – 7th Avenue; 47th – 51st Street, Midtown, New York City, NY, USA
Date built: 1940
Design: Raymond Hood, Architect
Rockefeller Center New York
This Manhattan complex was named after John D. Rockefeller, Junior, who developed it from 1930. Apart from the history of these 21 buildings, and the strong public realm, two things stand out: the beautiful ice rink – Outdoor Plaza in winter – and the Rainbow Rooms at the top of the building.

Lever Building (Lever House), 390 Park Avenue, New York
Date built: 1952
Design: CSkidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Architects
Lever Building New York
Beautiful piece of New York architecture facing Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram Building and trying to give it a run for its money. Having had a good look at both I think Mies wins but nevertheless this SOM Architects building was a classic in its day, podium and tower.

Seagram Building, 375 Park Avenue, New York
Date built: 1958
Design: CLudwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect; Philip Johnson
Seagram Building New York

John Hancock Center, Chicago, USA
Date built: 1970
Design: CSkidmore, Owings and Merrill

photo : Royce Douglas
John Hancock Center
344m high ; 459 m high including antennae