List of early skyscrapers

This list of early skyscrapers details a range of tall, commercial buildings built between 1880 and the 1930s, predominantly in the United States cities of New York and Chicago, but also across the rest of the U.S. and in many other parts of the world.

The first skyscrapers (1880–1899)

Further information on the first skyscrapers: Early skyscrapers § Emergence of the skyscraper: 1880-99

United States

New York's "Newspaper Row", showing skyscrapers built in the late 19th century: (l. to r.) World Building, Tribune Building, 150 Nassau Street, and the Times Building.

California

• Central Tower
• Old Chronicle Building

Georgia

• Equitable Building
• Flatiron Building
• J. Mack Robinson College of Business Administration Building

Illinois

• Fisher Building
• Home Insurance Building
• Manhattan Building
• Marquette Building
• Marshall Field and Company Building
• Masonic Temple
• Monadnock Building
• New York Life Insurance Building
• Old Colony Building
• Rand McNally Building
• Reliance Building
• Rookery Building
• Tacoma Building

Iowa

• Observatory Building

Massachusetts

• Ames Building
• Fiske Building
• Winthrop Building

Michigan

• United Way Community Services Building
• Hammond Building
• Majestic Building

Minnesota

• Metropolitan Building
• Pioneer Building

Missouri

• Wainwright Building

New York

New York City

• American Tract Society Building
• American Surety Building
• Bayard–Condict Building
• Bowling Green Offices Building
• Empire Building
• Gillender Building
• Hotel Chelsea
• Hotel Gerard
• Manhattan Life Insurance Building
• New York Times Building
• New York Tribune Building
• New York World Building
• Osborne Apartments
• Park Row Building
• St. Paul Building
• Temple Court Building
• The Ansonia

Rochester

• Wilder Building

Buffalo

• Ellicott Square Building
• Guaranty Building

Pennsylvania

• Land Title Building
• North American Building

Utah

• Joseph Smith Memorial Building
• Judge Building
• Kearns Building

Wisconsin

• Milwaukee City Hall
• Pabst Building

Washington, D.C.

• Sun Building
• The Cairo

Rest of the world

The Witte Huis in Rotterdam, Europe's first skyscraper building (1898)

The APA "Australia" Building in Melbourne (1889–1980) – Australia's tallest building until 1912

The Temple Building, Toronto (1895-96)

Asia

Japan

• Ryounkaku

Europe

Netherlands

• Witte Huis

United Kingdom

• Queen Anne's Mansions

North and South America

Canada

• Beard Building, Toronto
• Canada Life Building, Montreal
• New York Life Insurance Building, Montreal
• Temple Building, Toronto
• Toronto Board of Trade Building

Oceania

Australia

• APA Building, Melbourne
• Culwulla Chambers, Sydney

The "First Great Age" (1900–19)

Further information on the "First Great Age" of skyscrapers: Early skyscrapers § The "First Great Age": 1900–19

United States

The Woolworth Building overlooking New York City's Old Post Office and City Hall Park, with the peaks of the Singer Tower and the 40 Wall Street just visible (left)

Alabama

• City Federal Building
• Empire Building

California

• Bank of America Building
• Hobart Building
• Merchants Exchange Building
• Oakland City Hall

Colorado

• Daniels & Fisher Tower

Connecticut

• Travelers Tower

Florida

• 121 Atlantic Place
• American National Bank Building (Pensacola, Florida)
• Dyal–Upchurch Building
• Florida Life Building

Georgia

• Candler Building (Atlanta)
• J. Mack Robinson College of Business Administration Building

Illinois

• Brooks Building
• Chicago Building
• Continental Illinois
• Hotel Aurora (Aurora, Illinois)
• Peoples Gas Building
• Renaissance Blackstone Hotel
• Roanoke Building
• Santa Fe Building

Iowa

• Fleming Building
• Liberty Building

Indiana

• 110 East Washington Street
• Barnes and Thornburg Building
• Fletcher Trust Building
• One North Pennsylvania

Maryland

• Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Building
• Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower
• One Calvert Plaza

Massachusetts

• Custom House Tower

Michigan

• AT&T Michigan Headquarters
• Book Tower
• Chrysler House
• David Whitney Building
• Ford Building
• Kales Building
• Marquette Building
• Michigan Central Station
• Penobscot Building Annex
• Vinton Building

Minnesota

• Commerce Building (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
• The Saint Paul Hotel

Missouri

• Commerce Trust Building
• Railway Exchange Building (St. Louis)

Nebraska

• First National Bank Building (Omaha, Nebraska)

New York

New York City

• 1 Wall Street Court
• 14 Wall Street
• 49 Chambers
• 90 West Street
• 150 Nassau Street
• 195 Broadway
• American Surety Building
• Bank of the Metropolis Building
• Bowling Green Offices Building
• Broad Exchange Building
• Broadway–Chambers Building
• Bush Tower
• City Investing Building
• Consolidated Edison Building
• Empire Building
• Equitable Building
• Equitable Life Building
• Flatiron Building
• Germania Life Insurance Company Building
• Gillender Building
• Home Life Building
• Hudson Terminal
• Liberty Tower
• Manhattan Life Insurance Building
• Manhattan Municipal Building
• Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower
• Morse Building
• New York Times Building
• New York Tribune Building
• New York World Building
• One Times Square
• Park Row Building
• Singer Building
• St. Paul Building
• Trinity and United States Realty Buildings
• Western Union Telegraph Building
• Whitehall Building
• Woolworth Building

Rochester

• Kodak Tower

Buffalo

• The Marin

Ohio

• Bartlett Building
• Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• Fourth & Walnut Center
• LeVeque Tower
• Fourth and Vine Tower
• Rockefeller Building (Cleveland)

Pennsylvania

• Arrott Building
• Benedum-Trees Building
• Farmers Bank Building
• Frick Building
• Land Title Building
• Oliver Building
• The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
• The Carlyle

Tennessee

• Exchange Building
• The Burwell

Texas

• Adolphus Hotel
• ALICO Building
• Kirby Building

Utah

• Walker Center

Virginia

• First National Bank Building

Washington

• Old National Bank Building
• Smith Tower

Elsewhere in the world

Culwulla Chambers, Sydney's first skyscraper

United Kingdom

• Royal Liver Building
• Tower Building, Liverpool

Argentina

• Galeria Guemes
• Archivo General de la Nacion
• Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires

Australia

• Culwulla Chambers, Sydney
• Dovers Building, Melbourne
• Trust Building, Sydney

Brazil

• Edifício Jornal do Brasil

Canada

Canadian Pacific Building, Toronto

• Canadian Pacific Building, Toronto
• Confederation Building, Winnipeg
• Dominion Building, Vancouver
• Royal Bank Building, Toronto
• Sun Tower, Vancouver
• Trader's Bank Building, Toronto
• Union Bank Building, Winnipeg

Germany

Berlin

Siemensturm in Berlin

• Behrensbau ^[de]
• Narva-Turm ^[de]
• Siemensturm

Jena

• Zeiss Bau 15 ^[de]

Netherlands

• De Inktpot ^[nl]

New Zealand

Consultancy House, Dunedin, New Zealand

• Consultancy House, Dunedin
• Public Trust Building, Wellington

Poland

• PAST (Poland)

Russia

• The fairy tale house

South Africa

• Union Buildings

Ukraine

• The Ginsburg skyscraper
• Fyodor Alyoshin's profitable house

Inter-war period, boom and depression (1920–1939)

United States

Arizona

• Heard Building
• Hotel San Carlos (Phoenix)
• Luhrs Building
• Luhrs Tower
• Orpheum Lofts
• Pioneer Hotel
• Professional Building (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Valley National Bank Building (Tucson, Arizona)
• Westward Ho (Phoenix)

Connecticut

• Southern New England Telephone Company Administration Building
• The Stark Building
• Travelers Tower

California

• 140 New Montgomery
• 225 Bush Street
• 450 Sutter Street
• Bank of Italy (Fresno, California)
• El Cortez Hotel
• Los Angeles City Hall
• Pacific Southwest Building
• Richfield Tower
• Russ Building
• Shell Building
• Tribune Tower

Florida

• Freedom Tower (Miami)
• Miami Biltmore Hotel
• Miami-Dade County Courthouse

Georgia

• Fourth National Bank Building
• Rhodes-Haverty Building

Idaho

• Hoff Building

Indiana

• AT&T Building (Indianapolis)
• Lincoln Bank Tower

Illinois

• 333 North Michigan
• 35 East Wacker
• Carbide & Carbon Building
• Chicago Board of Trade Building
• Chicago Temple Building
• Civic Opera Building
• Faust Landmark
• Field Building
• LaSalle-Wacker Building
• Leland Tower
• London Guarantee Building
• Mather Tower
• Metropolitan Tower
• Morrison Hotel
• One North LaSalle
• Palmolive Building
• Pittsfield Building
• Powhatan Apartments
• Randolph Tower
• Tribune Tower
• Trustees System Service Building
• Wrigley Building

Iowa

• Equitable Building
• Wells Fargo Building

Louisiana

• Charity Hospital (New Orleans)
• First National Bank of Commerce Building
• Four Winds (New Orleans)
• Hibernia Bank Building
• Louisiana State Capitol
• National American Bank Building

Maine

• Time and Temperature Building

Maryland

• Bank of America Building (Baltimore)

Massachusetts

• Suffolk County Courthouse

Michigan

• AT&T Michigan Headquarters
• Boji Tower
• Book Tower
• Buhl Building
• Cadillac Place
• Cadillac Tower
• David Broderick Tower
• David Stott Building
• First National Building
• Fisher Building
• Fort Shelby Hotel
• Grand Park Centre
• Guardian Building
• Industrial Building (Detroit)
• Hudson Department Store
• Macabees Building
• Penobscot Building
• United Artists Theatre Building
• Washington Boulevard Building
• Water Board Building
• Westin Book Cadillac Hotel

Minnesota

• CenturyLink Building
• First National Bank Building
• Foshay Tower
• Minnesota Building
• Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse

Mississippi

• King Edward Hotel (Jackson, Mississippi)
• Lamar Life Building
• Regions Bank Building (Jackson, Mississippi)
• Standard Life Building

Missouri

• 909 Walnut
• 925 Grand
• Civil Courts Building
• Kansas City City Hall
• Kansas City Power and Light Building
• Oak Tower
• Southwestern Bell Building

Nebraska

• Nebraska State Capitol

New Jersey

• Bamberger's
• Camden City Hall
• Eleven 80
• Griffith Building
• Home Office Building
• Military Park Building
• National Newark Building
• New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building
• Prudential Headquarters#Gibraltar Building
• The Claridge Hotel
• Union County Courthouse (New Jersey)

New York

New York City

• 1 Wall Street
• 10 East 40th Street
• 110 East 42nd Street
• 120 Wall Street
• 15 Broad Street
• 20 Exchange Place
• 20 West Street
• 21 West Street
• 26 Broadway
• 30 Rockefeller Plaza
• 32 Avenue of the Americas
• 330 West 42nd Street
• 40 Wall Street
• 500 Fifth Avenue
• 525 Lexington Avenue
• 60 Hudson Street
• 70 Pine Street
• American Radiator Building
• Chanin Building
• Chrysler Building
• Cunard Building
• Daily News Building
• Empire State Building
• Fuller Building
• General Electric Building
• Helmsley Building
• Metropolitan Life North Building
• Nelson Tower
• New York Life Building
• One Grand Central Place
• Paramount Building
• Pershing Square Building
• Ritz Tower
• Rockefeller Center
• Savoy-Plaza Hotel
• The Beresford
• The Century
• The Eldorado
• The Majestic
• The Pierre
• The San Remo
• The Sherry-Netherland
• Verizon Building
• Waldorf Astoria
• Wall and Hanover Building
• Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower
• Wyndham New Yorker Hotel

Buffalo

• Buffalo Central Terminal
• Buffalo City Hall
• Electric Tower
• Liberty Building
• Rand Building

Rochester

• Sibley's, Lindsay and Curr Building
• Times Square Building

Syracuse

• Niagara Mohawk Building
• State Tower Building

Albany

• Alfred E. Smith Building
• Home Savings Bank Building

New Rochelle

• 271 North Avenue

North Carolina

• 112 Tryon Plaza
• Johnston Building (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Ohio

• AT&T Huron Road Building
• Carew Tower Complex
• Fenn Tower
• FirstMerit Tower
• Guardian Bank Building
• Keith Building
• LeVeque Tower
• National City Bank Building
• Parkview Apartments (Cleveland)
• Standard Building
• Superior Building
• Terminal Tower
• The 925 Building

Oklahoma

• 320 South Boston Building
• City Place Tower (Oklahoma City)
• First National Center
• Philtower Building

Pennsylvania

• Cathedral of Learning
• Drake Hotel
• Grant Building
• Gulf Tower
• Koppers Tower
• One South Broad
• PSFS Building
• Ritz-Carlton
• Suburban Station
• Wells Fargo Building

Rhode Island

• Industrial National Bank Building
• Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building
• Turk's Head Building

Tennessee

• Andrew Johnson Building
• Crosstown Concourse
• Exchange Building (Memphis)
• Lincoln American Tower
• Madison Hotel (Memphis, Tennessee)
• Sterick Building
• Tennessee Theatre
• The Holston

Texas

• Esperson Buildings
• JPMorgan Chase Building
• Magnolia Hotel
• Tower Life Building

Utah

• Ogden/Weber Municipal Building
• Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel

Virginia

• Central National Bank (Richmond, Virginia)
• Hotel John Marshall

Washington

• Seattle Tower

Wisconsin

• AT&T Center (Milwaukee)
• Hilton Milwaukee City Center
• Wisconsin Gas Building
• Wisconsin Tower

Elsewhere in the world

Europe

Austria

Vienna

• Hochhaus Herrengasse

Belgium

The Boerentoren in Antwerp

Antwerp

• Boerentoren
• Century Center

Brussels

• Pavillons français ^[fr]
• Résidence de la Cambre

Ghent

• Centrale Universiteitsbibliotheek

Czech Republic

• Baťa's Skyscraper

Finland

• Hotel Torni

France

Villeurbanne

• Gratte-ciel_(Villeurbanne) ^[fr]

Germany

The Borsigturm in Berlin

The Hansahochhaus in Cologne

Aachen

• Haus Grenzwacht ^[de]

Berlin

• Borsigturm ^[de]
• Columbushaus
• Europahaus
• Karstadt Berlin Hermannplatz ^[de]
• Kathreiner-Haus ^[de]
• Shell-Haus
• Ullsteinhaus ^[de]
• Wernerwerk-Hochhaus ^[de]

Braunschweig

• Haus der Wissenschaft Braunschweig ^[de]

Chemnitz

• Cammann-Hochhaus

Cologne

• Hansahochhaus

Dresden

• Ernemann-Werke ^[de]
• Hochhaus am Albertplatz ^[de]

Düsseldorf

• Stummhaus ^[de]
• Wilhelm Marx House

Essen

• Deutschlandhaus (Essen) ^[de]

Gera

• Handelshof ^[de]

Hamburg

• Chilehaus
• Brahms Kontor
• Meßberghof

Hanover

• Anzeiger-Hochhaus ^{[de; fi; it; ru]}
• Capitol

Jena

• Bau 36

Leipzig

• Europahaus (Leipzig)
• Kroch High-rise

Magdeburg

• Faber-Hochhaus ^[de]

Munich

• Old Technical Town Hall

Rüsselsheim

• Opelturm Rüsselsheim ^[de]

Stuttgart

• Tagblatt-Turm
• Breuninger Hochhaus

Hungary

Budapest

• Az Országos Társadalombiztosító Intézet székháza ^[hu]

Italy

The Torrione INA in Brescia, Italy's first skyscraper.

Brescia

• Torrione INA

Genoa

• Torre Dante^[usurped]
• Torre Piacentini^[usurped]

Milan

• Palazzo e Torre Rasini ^[it]
• Snia Viscosa Tower
• Torre Locatelli ^[it]

Turin

• Torre Littoria

Netherlands

Amsterdam

• De Bazel
• De Wolkenkrabber ^[nl]

Rotterdam

• Erasmus House
• GEB Tower ^[nl]

The Hague

• Nirwana apartments ^[nl]

Poland

Warsaw

• Prudential, Warsaw

Wrocław

• Wrocław Post Office ^[de]
• Biurowiec przy Rynku 9-11 ^[pl]

Katowice

• Drapacz Chmur

Romania

Bucharest

• Telephones Company Building

Russia

• Palace of the Soviets (vision)
• House on the Embankment

Serbia

• Palace Albanija

Slovenia

• Nebotičnik

Spain

The Telefónica Building in Madrid

Madrid

• Edificio Carrión
• Edificio Vitalicio
• La Unión y el Fénix Español building
• Palacio de la Prensa
• Telefónica Building
• Edificio Metrópolis

Barcelona

• Banco Vitalicio de España^[usurped]

A Coruña

• Edificio del Banco Pastor en La Coruña

Sweden

Stockholm

• Kungstornen

Gothenburg

• Otterhall ^[sv]

Switzerland

• Bel-Air-Turm ^[de]

Ukraine

Kyiv

• Government Building, Kyiv

Kharkiv

• Derzhprom
• National University of Kharkiv

United Kingdom

Shell Mex House, London

Senate House, London

London

• 55 Broadway
• Senate House, London
• Shell Mex House
• Adelaide House

Manchester

• Quay Street Tower (unbuilt)
• Sunlight House
• Lancaster House, Manchester
• Ship Canal House

Liverpool

• Martins Bank Building
• India Buildings
• Exchange Flags
• Tower Building, Liverpool

The Manchester Unity Building, Melbourne, Australia

Australia

Melbourne

• Alkira House
• Australasian Catholic Assurance Building
• Capitol Theatre
• Deva House
• Majorca Building
• Manchester Unity Building

Sydney

• AWA Tower
• Grace Building

Argentina

• Kavanagh Building
• Palacio Barolo

Canada

Halifax

• Dominion Public Building

Hamilton

• Pigott Building

Montreal

Royal Bank Tower, Montreal

• Aldred Building
• Architects' Building
• Bell Telephone Building
• Royal Bank Tower
• Sun Life Building

Quebec

• Édifice Price

Toronto

• Canada Life Building
• Canada Permanent Trust Building
• Fairmont Royal York
• Imperial Bank of Commerce Building
• Old Toronto Star Building
• Sterling Tower

Vancouver

• Hotel Vancouver
• Marine Building
• Royal Bank Tower

China

Park Hotel Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Guangzhou

• Aiqun Hotel
• Nanfang Building

Shanghai

• Bank of China Building
• Broadway Mansions
• Customs House
• Hengshan Picardie Hotel
• Jinjiang Hotel
• Park Hotel
• Peace Hotel

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Headquarters Building

The Mutual Life & Citizens Assurance Company Building, Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand

• Hotel St George, Wellington
• Mutual Life & Citizens Assurance Company Building, Wellington

South Africa

• Chamber of Mines Building

See also

• List of skyscrapers