14 Wall Street Building

History and architecture

The 14 Wall Street Building, with its distinctive pyramidal roof, is one of the great towers that define the lower Manhattan skyline. Located in the heart of the financial district, the building was erected in 1910-12 for the Bankers Trust Company. Symbolizing the importance of the company, the 539-foot high 14 Wall Street Building was the tallest bank building in the world when it was completed.

Designed by the prestigious firm of Trowbridge & Livingston, this granite-clad tower incorporated the latest in building technologies and was one of the first buildings to employ a cofferdam foundation system. Inspired by the campanile of San Marco in Venice, the building's design is notable for its austere decorative scheme incorporating specific Greek architectural motifs.

Especially noteworthy is the seven-story stepped pyramid which is credited with setting an important precedent for the development of boldly topped skyscraper towers. In 1931-33 the building received a twenty-five-story, L-shaped addition, designed by the leading architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. The addition is articulated with a blend of Modern Classic and Art Deco motifs which complements Trowbridge & Livingston's original design.

Over the years the 14 Wall Street Building has become a symbol of the financial district. Its design was widely copied during the 1920s and remains an inspiration for modern designers.

The site of the 14 Wall Street Building at the northwest corner of Wall and Nassau Streets was one of the most desirable in the financial district due to its location at a broad intersection which was "almost equivalent to a public square in area."

When 14 Wall Street was completed in 1912, it was the tallest bank building in the world and one of the three or four tallest buildings in the city. Viewed from the harbor or from the East or Hudson Rivers in conjunction with the Singer Tower, the two towers were originally likened to "the posts of the gigantic 'Gateway of New York.'"22 Bankers Trust took enormous pride in its massive tower, adopting the stone pyramid atop the building as its trademark and advertising "A Tower of Strength" as the company legend for several decades. Over the next few decades the 14 Wall Street Building became an iconic symbol of American capitalism and the Wall Street financial district, featured in the photographs of Berenice Abbott and in the Charles Sheeler-Paul Strand film "Manhatta," among other works.