Editing Singer Building (section)

== Architecture ==
The Singer Building was at the northwest corner of [[Liberty Street (Manhattan)|Liberty Street]] and [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in the [[Financial District, Manhattan|Financial District]] of [[Lower Manhattan]], abutting the [[City Investing Building]] to the north.<ref name="nyt20120329">{{Cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|date=March 29, 2012|title=The Hemming In of the Singer Tower|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questions-the-singer-tower-all-hemmed-in.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602090534/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questions-the-singer-tower-all-hemmed-in.html|archive-date=June 2, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="LC p. 355" /> The [[land lot]] was nearly rectangular, though slightly skewed due to the layout of the [[Commissioners' Plan of 1811#History of New York City|street grid]],<ref name="OConnor 2016">{{cite web|last=O'Connor|first=William|date=April 30, 2016|title=The Life and Death of The World's Tallest Building|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/30/the-life-and-death-of-the-world-s-tallest-building|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726004141/http://www.thedailybeast.com/web/20170726004141/http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-life-and-death-of-the-worlds-tallest-building|archive-date=July 26, 2017|access-date=August 12, 2020|website=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref><ref name="HABS p. 92">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=92}}</ref> and measured {{Convert|74.5|ft||abbr=}} on Broadway by {{Convert|110|ft||abbr=}} on Liberty Street.<ref name="HABS p. 92" /> The structure, as completed in 1908, was composed of four distinct sections:<ref name="AF p. 118">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1957|ps=.|p=118}}</ref> the original Singer and Bourne buildings, an annex next to both buildings, and the tower. All of these structures were designed by [[Ernest Flagg]] for [[Frederick Gilbert Bourne|Frederick Bourne]], who led the [[Singer Corporation|Singer Manufacturing Company]].<ref name="nyt20050102">{{note label|talleststatus}}{{cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|authorlink=Christopher Gray (architectural historian)|date=January 2, 2005|title=Streetscapes: Once the Tallest Building, But Since 1967 a Ghost|work=The New York Times|url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/realestate/02scap.html|access-date=August 1, 2010|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228143954/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/realestate/once-the-tallest-building-but-since-1967-a-ghost.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYCL-1100">{{cite web|date=March 23, 1982|title=Charles Scribner's Sons Building|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1100.pdf|access-date=March 31, 2021|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|page=4|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224144220/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1100.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The structure was designed with elements of the [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] style<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|Stern|Gilmartin|Massengale|1983|p=170}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|White|Willensky|Leadon|2010|ps=.|p=43}}</ref> and the [[French Second Empire style]].<ref name="Pile 2005 p. 310">{{harvnb|ps=.|Pile|2005|page=310}}</ref> American architect [[George W. Conable]] prepared plans and working drawings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7335|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Building|date=April 1983|access-date=January 16, 2011|first=Larry E.|last=Gobrecht|publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018215915/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=7335|archive-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref> An architectural office with an engineering department led by Otto F. Semsch,<ref name="LC p. 355" /><ref name="nyt19680327">{{Cite news|last=Fried|first=Joseph P.|date=March 27, 1968|title=End of Skyscraper: Daring in '08, Obscure in '68|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/03/27/archives/end-of-skyscraper-daring-in-08-obscure-in-68.html|access-date=August 15, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228143956/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/03/27/archives/end-of-skyscraper-daring-in-08-obscure-in-68.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and mechanical equipment engineer [[consultant]]s Charles G. Armstrong and steel engineers Boller & Hodge, oversaw construction.<ref name="LC p. 355" /> Over 40 other companies were involved in the construction process,<ref name="LC p. 355" /> and nearly 100 construction contracts were awarded. There were no general contractors on the project; the owners communicated directly with the suppliers responsible for each contract.<ref name="Ripley p. 9461">{{harvnb|Ripley|1907|ps=.|p=9461}}</ref><ref name="HABS p. 88">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=88}}</ref>

When the tower addition was completed in 1908, its roof was {{Convert|612|ft|m}} high.<ref name="ABM p. 429">{{harvnb|ps=.|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|p=429}}</ref><ref name="SkyscraperCenter"/><ref name="PA p. 170">{{harvnb|Progressive Architecture|1967|ps=.|p=170}}</ref> The tower was topped by a {{convert|58|ft|adj=on}} flagpole, giving it a ground-to-pinnacle height of {{convert|670|ft}}.<ref name="SkyscraperCenter">{{Cite web|title=Singer Building|website=The Skyscraper Center|publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]]|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/singer-building/2080|access-date=July 2, 2019|archive-date=June 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612232448/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/singer-building/2080|url-status=live}}</ref> The Singer Building was the world's tallest building at the time of its completion and the world's tallest building to be destroyed upon its demolition.<ref name="nyt20130617" /> Contemporary sources at the time of the building's construction described the "Singer Tower" as referring only to the building's tower portion, rather than its base. The "Singer Building" name originally referred only to a portion of the base, although by the mid–20th&nbsp;century it referred to the entire structure.<ref name="Semsch p. 9" /><ref name="HABS p. 89">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=89}}</ref>

===Form===
[[File:SingerBuilding2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt= Photograph of the Singer Building as seen from Broadway |The Singer Building seen from Broadway, looking north from the [[Equitable Building (Manhattan)|Equitable Building]], September 1967]]
The base of the building filled the entire lot. It was composed of the 10-story original structure (later expanded to 14&nbsp;stories) and the 14-story annex known as the Bourne Building.<ref name="LC p. 355" /> The original Singer Building, on the southeastern portion of the lot, had a frontage of {{Convert|58|ft||abbr=}} on Broadway and {{Convert|110|ft||abbr=}} on Liberty Street. The Bourne Building, on the southwestern portion, was 58&nbsp;feet deep and had a [[frontage]] of approximately {{Convert|75|ft||abbr=}} on Liberty Street.<ref name="Semsch p. 10">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=10}}</ref> From 1906 to 1907, the original Singer Building was extended northward and the Bourne Building was extended westward.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=10–11}}</ref> The original Singer and Bourne buildings were about {{Convert|200|ft||abbr=}} tall.<ref name="nyt19070825">{{Cite news|date=August 25, 1907|title=Already Highest Structure in the World; Yet the Colossal New Singer Building Will Rise One Hundred Feet, Or Eight Stories, Higher When Completed Its Gigantic Steel Tower Will Dwarf City's Famous Skyscrapers to Insignificance.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1907/08/25/archives/already-highest-structure-in-the-world-yet-the-colossal-new-singer.html|access-date=August 14, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311221855/https://www.nytimes.com/1907/08/25/archives/already-highest-structure-in-the-world-yet-the-colossal-new-singer.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 41-story tower above the northwest corner of the base was square in plan, with floor dimensions of {{Convert|65|by|65|ft|abbr=}}.<ref name="LC p. 355" /><ref name="HABS p. 92" /><ref name="ABM p. 429" /> When the [[dome]] and [[Roof lantern|lantern]] at the tower's pinnacle were included, the Singer Tower was the equivalent of a 47-story building.<ref name="LC p. 355" /><ref name="Ripley p. 9459" /> The tower was set back {{Convert|30|ft||abbr=}} behind the base's frontage on Broadway,<ref name="LC p. 355" /><ref name="HABS p. 92" /> and it filled only one-sixth of the total lot area.<ref name="Ripley p. 9459">{{harvnb|Ripley|1907|ps=.|p=9459}}</ref> There was a gap of {{Convert|10|ft||abbr=}} between the Singer Building's tower and the City Investing Building immediately to the north, which was built during the same time. The columns required to support the Singer Tower would have been too large to place atop the original Singer Building, so they were instead built in the northern portion of the lot.<ref name="nyt20120329" /> The tower had a [[Slenderness ratio|height-to-width ratio]] of 7:1, setting a record at the time of its completion.<ref name="AF 1967-08" /><ref name="Stern (1995) p. 1126">{{harvnb|Stern|Mellins|Fishman|1995|ps=.|p=1126}}</ref>

=== Facade ===
The facade was made of red brick, light-colored stone, and [[Architectural terracotta|terracotta]].<ref name="OConnor 2016" /> Some {{Convert|733000|ft2||abbr=}} of terracotta was used for both the facade and the interior partitions. About five million bricks were used in the entire project, including one million in the tower section.<ref name="sun19080628">{{cite news|date=June 28, 1908|title=Buildings as Big as a Town|page=22|work=[[The New York Sun]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57353608/|access-date=August 13, 2020|via=newspapers.com|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228143957/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57353608/buildings-as-big-as-a-town/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Semsch p. 35">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=35}}</ref> About {{Convert|1,500|ft3||abbr=}} of North River [[bluestone]] was also used,<ref name="Semsch p. 35" /> as was {{Convert|4,280,000|lb||abbr=}} of [[limestone]], mainly above the 33rd&nbsp;floor.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=38}}</ref> The contractors for these materials included [[John B. Rose|John B. Rose Company]] for the brick; Martin P. Lodge for the bluestone; J.&nbsp;J.&nbsp;Spurr & Sons for the limestone; and New Jersey Terra Cotta for the terracotta.<ref>{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|pp=88–89}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=36–38}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|pp=443–444}}</ref>

[[File:SingerBuilding5.jpg|thumb|alt= Photograph of the original Singer Building |The original Singer Building formed part of the base of the completed building. September 1967]]
For decorative elements, {{Convert|101|ST|LT t|abbr=}} of sheet copper was used.<ref name="sun19080628" /> Whale Creek Iron Works provided [[wrought iron|ornamental iron]] while [[Jno. Williams, Inc.|Jno. Williams Inc.]] provided the ornamental bronze.<ref name="HABS p. 89" /><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=33, 52}}</ref> There were {{Convert|85203|ft2||abbr=}} of glass in the entire building, about 10{{Nbsp}}percent of which was interior glass.<ref name="sun19080628" /><ref name="Semsch pp. 44-45">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=44–45}}</ref> There was extensive [[ornament (art)|ornamentation]] throughout the building, including eight arches atop the tower's exterior.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=67}}</ref>

==== Base ====
The original Singer Building was faced with stone and brick. When it was built, the plans called for the lowest two stories to be [[cladding (construction)|clad]] with stone. The third story contained a balcony extending along both facades. The four following stories were faced with brick and contained windows with stone surrounds. The seventh story was clad with stone and had a balcony doubling as a [[cornice]], while the facade on the eighth story was made of brick. The original top stories comprised a decorative copper-and-slate roof with [[dormer]]s and stone chimneys. The main entrance was on Liberty Street and had sculptures and ornament.<ref name="nyt18970110">{{Cite news|date=January 10, 1897|title=The New Singer Building|language=en-US|page=7|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57231157/|access-date=August 12, 2020|issn=0362-4331|via=newspapers.com|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228144000/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57231157/the-new-singer-building/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bourne Building was faced with [[Indiana Limestone]] on its lowest two stories and red brick above.<ref name="rer18981203">{{cite magazine|date=December 3, 1898|title=Office Buildings Underway|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_022_23.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=62|pages=828|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=1603|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128043405/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_022_23.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The base had ironwork ornamentation in their [[mullion]]s and window railings.<ref name="Semsch p. 33">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=33}}</ref>

After the 1906–1907 modifications, the main entrance faced Broadway on the eastern facade. This main entrance had a three-story-tall semicircular arch. A two-story [[architrave]] was beneath the arch, with an engraved [[cartouche]] reading "Singer" at the center. The upper part of the arch had a fanlight with five vertical mullions, below which was a bronze grille measuring {{Convert|13|ft|abbr=}} wide and {{Convert|24|ft||abbr=}} tall.<ref name="HABS p. 93">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=93}}</ref>

As a result of the modifications, the first three stories were faced with [[Rustication (architecture)|rusticated]] North River bluestone.<ref name="HABS p. 92" /> Four stories were added between the seventh floor and the three-story roof during that time, and the Broadway facade was expanded from two bays to five.<ref name="HABS p. 89" /><ref name="rer19070629">{{cite magazine|date=June 29, 1907|title=Slicing a Skyscraper|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_039_27.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=79|pages=824|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2050|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128041423/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_039_27.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> With the modifications, the vertical bays were separated with vertical strips from the fourth to the 10th&nbsp;floors, with [[pediment]]s above the sixth-floor windows. The 11th and 12th&nbsp;floors of the modified base consisted of two rows of small windows, with the 11th-floor windows spaced between [[Bracket (architecture)|brackets]] supporting a 12th-floor iron balcony. The top two stories contained dormer windows projecting from the [[mansard roof]].<ref name="HABS p. 93" /> The sloped portions of the roof were clad with slate shingles, while [[Porcelain tile|glazed roof tiles]] covered the flat portion.<ref name="HABS p. 94" />

==== Tower ====
[[File:King's Color-graphs of New York City9.jpg|thumb|right|Singer Building in 1910]]
The Singer Tower's facade was made of brick masonry ranging in thickness from {{Convert|12|in||abbr=}} at the top to {{Convert|40|in||abbr=}} at the base.<ref name="Semsch p. 36">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=36}}</ref> The Singer Tower contained five bays on each side, each measuring {{Convert|12|ft||abbr=}} wide.<ref name="LC p. 358">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=358}}</ref> Construction plans show that there were 36 windows on each floor.<ref name="nyt19070825" /> The faces of the tower were made of dark red brick, except for decorative elements such as trimmings, [[Coping (architecture)|copings]], [[Course (architecture)|courses]], and [[Window sill|windowsills]], which were made of North River bluestone.<ref name="LC p. 359" /> On each side, vertical limestone [[Pier (architecture)|piers]] separated the outermost bays from the three center bays, dividing the facade into three vertical sections.<ref name="NYCL-1100" /><ref name="LC p. 359" /> The outermost bays were illuminated by small windows.<ref name="NYCL-1100" /><ref name="AF p. 120">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1957|ps=.|p=120}}</ref> The corners of the tower were made of solid masonry, which concealed the diagonal steel bracing inside.<ref name="AF 1967-08">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1967|ps=.|p=107}}</ref><ref name="AF p. 120" /> The tower had cast-iron [[Balcony|balconies]] and [[Fascia (architecture)|fascias]], as well as wrought-iron [[jamb]]s and [[mullion]]s.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> The use of iron balconies, as well as the large amount of glass in the facade, was inspired by the design of the Little Singer Building at 561 Broadway, built in 1904.<ref name="AF p. 117">{{harvnb|Architectural Forum|1957|ps=.|p=117}}</ref>

Horizontal [[belt course]]s wrapped around the tower above the 17th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 29th, and 30th&nbsp;stories, while there were terracotta balconies on each side at the 18th, 24th, and 30th&nbsp;stories.<ref name="HABS p. 92" /> Iron balconies also projected from the building at intervals of seven stories.<ref name="Semsch p. 33" /><ref name="LC p. 359" /> Near the top of the tower, the vertical stone bands on each side formed a tall arch evocative of the tower's dome.<ref name="LC p. 360" /> On the 36th&nbsp;floor, an ornamental balcony cantilevered about {{Convert|8.5|ft||abbr=}} outward on each side;<ref name="Semsch p. 202" /> it was supported by brackets on the 35th&nbsp;floor.<ref name="nyt19070825" /><ref name="HABS p. 94">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=94}}</ref><ref name="ER p. 630">{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=630}}</ref> Stone architraves surrounded the corner windows of the 36th and 37th&nbsp;stories, while ornate stone arches framed the center bays on the 36th through 38th&nbsp;stories. There were oval windows on each corner at the 38th&nbsp;floor. Above that level, a heavy stone cornice ran around the corners and above the arches.<ref name="HABS p. 94" />

The top of the tower contained a {{Convert|50|ft|m|abbr=|-tall|adj=mid}} dome covering the top three stories,<ref name="HABS p. 92" /><ref name="Semsch p. 202">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=20}}</ref> capped by a lantern that measures {{Convert|9|ft||abbr=}} across at its base<ref name="Semsch p. 202" /> and stretches {{Convert|63.75|ft|0|abbr=}} tall.<ref>{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=542}}</ref> The dome's roof was made of slate, while the roof ornamentation, dormers, and lantern were made of copper sheeting.<ref name="LC p. 360">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=360}}</ref><ref name="Semsch p. 41">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=41}}</ref> In its final years, the dome's trapezoidal skylights were replaced with dormer windows.<ref name="HABS p. 94" /> The top of the lantern was {{Convert|612|ft||abbr=}} above ground level, and a steel flagpole rose {{Convert|62|ft||abbr=}} above the lantern, bringing the height of the Singer Tower to {{Convert|674|ft||abbr=}} when measured from ground to tip.<ref name="Semsch p. 33" /><ref name="ABM p. 434">{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|p=434}}</ref> The flagpole was actually {{Convert|90|ft||abbr=}} long, but the base of the flagpole was embedded into the tower.<ref name="ABM p. 434" /> The entire exterior was lit at night by 1,600 incandescent lamps and thirty {{Convert|18|in||abbr=|adj=on}} projectors,<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=105}}</ref> which were visible at distances of up to {{Convert|20|mi||abbr=}}.<ref name="sun19080628" />

===Structural features===
==== Superstructure ====
[[Load-bearing wall]]s initially supported the original Singer Building at 149&nbsp;Broadway, while the Bourne Building annex at 85–89&nbsp;Liberty Street had an internal [[steel frame|steel skeleton]].<ref name="LC p. 355" /> The original Singer Building was altered between 1906 and 1908 to use a steel skeleton.<ref name="Semsch p. 32" /> The entire building used 850 steel columns.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=21}}</ref> The columns were generally constructed in two-story segments.<ref name="Semsch p. 32" /> One- to three-story-tall column segments were used on the basements, first floor, and 14th through 16th&nbsp;floors.<ref>{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=599}}</ref> [[Rafter]]s supported the mansard roof of the base, excluding the tower.<ref name="ER p. 602">{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=602}}</ref> Milliken Brothers Inc. was the structural steel supplier for the project.<ref name="HABS p. 88" /><ref name="Semsch p. 202" />
[[File:Singer typical tower floor plan.png|thumb|alt= A typical floor plan in the tower section|Typical floor plan in the tower section]]
The Singer Tower addition of 1906–1908 had a steel skeleton and weighed {{Convert|18365|ST|LT t|abbr=}}.<ref name="LC p. 358" /> The tower's columns were spaced {{Convert|12|ft||abbr=}} apart on their centers.<ref name="ABM p. 429" /> Because the three center bays on each side contained windows, only the corners used diagonal [[Cross bracing|bracing]] and, as such, were treated as square prisms.<ref name="ER p. 602" /><ref>{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|pp=358–359}}</ref> Inside, there was another structure for the central elevator shafts, which were connected to the corners of the tower via longitudinal beams.<ref name="nyt19070825" /><ref name="LC p. 359">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=359}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=22}}</ref> A [[girder]] supported the columns at the tower's corners at the fourth floor, while 36&nbsp;columns rose from the basement into the tower.<ref name="Semsch p. 202" /><ref name="ER pp. 542–543">{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|pp=542–543}}</ref> Four pillars were placed at each corner of the tower and six more pillars were placed in the elevator shafts.<ref name="nyt19070825" /><ref name="ER pp. 542–543" /> Each [[truss]] extended upward for two stories, causing the columns and braces to act as wind-resistant cantilevers.<ref name="nyt19070825" /><ref name="ER p. 602" /> The braces on the north and south contained 11 panels each while those on the east and west contained 10 panels.<ref name="nyt19070825" /> The four columns at the center of the tower supported its dome.<ref name="Semsch p. 202" /><ref name="ER p. 543">{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=543}}</ref>

The superstructure was erected using two boom [[derrick]]s. One of them, with a capacity of {{Convert|40|ST|LT t}}, a {{convert|75|ft|adj=on}} mast, and a {{convert|65|ft|adj=on}} boom, lifted the steel beams from ground level to a 17th-story platform. The other was installed on the 17th&nbsp;floor and had a capacity of {{Convert|25|ST|LT t}}; this derrick erected the tower's steel.<ref>{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=442}}</ref><ref name="Semsch p. 28" /> Generally, it took less than five minutes to transfer the steel from ground level to the superstructure.<ref name="Semsch p. 28">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=28}}</ref> German steel was used in the Singer Tower's framing because of Flagg's belief that German workmanship was better than that of Americans.<ref name="LC p. 359" /><ref>{{cite magazine|date=June 22, 1911|title=Why Steel Is Imported|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822036002657&view=1up&seq=503|journal=[[Engineering News-Record]]|volume=65|pages=765|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=February 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228144020/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822036002657&view=1up&seq=503|url-status=live}}</ref> The tower's superstructure was intended to withstand wind pressure of {{Convert|30|psf||abbr=}},<ref name="ER p. 543" /><ref name="rer19070427" /><ref>{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|p=430}}</ref> even though the highest recorded wind pressure in the neighborhood was less than {{Convert|10|psf||abbr=}} at the time of the Singer Building's construction.<ref name="rer19070427">{{cite magazine|date=April 27, 1907|title=Anchorage of Singer Building Tower|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_039_18.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=79|pages=824|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2041|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128051102/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_039_18.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ripley p. 9460">{{harvnb|Ripley|1907|ps=.|p=9460}}</ref>

The internal structure also used {{Convert|4520|ST|LT t|abbr=}} of [[Portland cement]] and {{Convert|300000|ft2||abbr=}} of concrete subflooring.<ref name="Semsch pp. 44-45" /> The Singer Building's floors generally used terracotta flat arches {{Convert|10|in||abbr=}} deep, and many of the internal partitions also used terracotta blocks.<ref name="Semsch p. 36" />

==== Foundation ====
The underlying layer of [[bedrock]] extended as deep as {{Convert|92|ft||abbr=}}, above which were layers of [[quicksand]], [[hardpan]], [[Regolith|rocks, clay, and soil]]. The [[Water table|groundwater level]] was {{Convert|20|ft||abbr=}} below the Singer Building.<ref name="LC p. 357">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=357}}</ref><ref name="ER p. 116">{{harvnb|Engineering Record|1907|ps=.|p=116}}</ref> The ground composition under the lot varied significantly, as the hardpan was compact in some places and loose in others.<ref name="Semsch p. 12">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=12}}</ref> Below the groundwater level, the saturation of the ground made it unfeasible to dig the cellar conventionally.<ref name="Ripley p. 9460" /> The Foundation Company excavated the tower's [[Foundation (engineering)|foundation]]<ref name="HABS p. 88" /><ref name="Semsch p. 12" /> using pneumatic [[Caisson (engineering)|caissons]].{{efn|The building's chief engineer cites 30 caissons,<ref name="Semsch p. 13" /> but the number of caissons is also cited as thirty-four.<ref name="HABS p. 92" /><ref name="ABM p. 432" />}} The caissons were used to extract the underlying soil, then filled with concrete to create piers.<ref name="Ripley p. 9460" /><ref name="ER p. 116" /><ref name="Semsch p. 13">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=13}}</ref>

Each caisson pier was designed to carry {{Convert|30,000|psf||abbr=}}.<ref name="LC p. 358" /> A gridiron of steel girders was placed atop the caisson piers.<ref name="ABM p. 432">{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|p=432}}</ref> Because of the design of the tower addition's wind-bracing superstructure, the upward pull on some of the piers was greater than the [[Structural load|dead load]] these piers carried. As a result, [[eyebars]] of different lengths were embedded in 10 of the caissons, the concrete being poured onto the eyebars.<ref name="ER p. 543" /><ref name="rer19070427" /><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=15}}</ref> The rods were embedded {{Convert|50|ft||abbr=}} into the caisson piers. The system, devised [[in house]] by Flagg's office, was more than twice as expensive as a conventional foundation would have cost for a building of the Singer Tower's size.<ref name="LC p. 358" /><ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 10, 1906|title=How the New Singer Building Is to Be Anchored to the Earth|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_038_19.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=78|pages=766|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2017|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128055207/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_038_19.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The original plan was for the caissons to be sunk only {{Convert|20|ft||abbr=}} deep, but the builders changed plans midway through the excavations, so that the caissons would go to hardpan.<ref name="Semsch p. 13" />

The original portions of the building were built on [[wikt:grillage|grillages]] {{Convert|24|ft||abbr=}} below the sidewalk level.<ref name="Semsch p. 12" /> These foundations were strengthened when the tower was added.<ref name="rer19070629" /> The total weight of the Singer Building, including the tower addition, was carried by 54 steel columns atop the concrete foundation piers.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=16}}</ref>

=== Interior ===
The Singer Building was intended to be fireproof, and the tower section used mostly concrete floors, with wood used in some doors, windows, railings and decorative elements.<ref name="Semsch p. 40" /><ref name="HABS p. 95">{{harvnb|Historic American Buildings Survey|1969|ps=.|p=95}}</ref> The base used more wood than the tower, mainly in the floors, windows, and doors.<ref name="Semsch p. 40">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=40}}</ref> All the building's stairs were made of [[cast iron]].<ref name="PA p. 170" /><ref name="Semsch p. 33" /> The interior trim in the Singer Building was made of metal painted to resemble wood, including in the doors. Actual wooden furniture was used in the Singer Company's main offices on the 34th&nbsp;floor.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=74, 76}}</ref> There were also ornamental plaster features executed by H.&nbsp;W.&nbsp;Miller&nbsp;Inc.<ref name="HABS p. 89" /><ref name="Semsch p. 68" /> Plaster was used extensively for the walls and ceilings.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /> The usable office space in the building totaled {{Convert|410000|ft2|m2 acre|abbr=}}.<ref name="ABM p. 429" />

The Singer Building took water from the [[New York City water supply system]], where it was filtered through ammonia coils and then through two filters into two suction tanks.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=56}}</ref> Inside the Singer Building, there were seven water tanks to serve a projected demand of {{Convert|15000|gal|L|abbr=|sp=us}} each hour. Three tanks on the Singer Tower's 29th, 39th, and 42nd&nbsp;floors had a combined capacity of 15,000 gallons and served several portions of the tower. To provide water to the base, there was one tank of {{Convert|5000|gal|L|abbr=|sp=us}} in the Bourne Building and three tanks of a combined {{Convert|18000|gal|L|abbr=|sp=us}} in the original Singer Building.<ref name="nyt19070825" /><ref name="Semsch pp. 57-58">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=57–58}}</ref> This allowed all the offices in the tower portion to be provided with cold, hot, and ice water.<ref name="Semsch pp. 57-58" /> Two heaters in the basement provided heated water to the entire building. There was also a refrigeration plant with two pumps and a small freezing system capable of producing {{Convert|500|to|1000|lb|abbr=}} of ice daily.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=92, 99}}</ref>

The Singer Building contained a vacuum steam system, although the ground-floor lobby and the basement vaults were heated by an indirect-steam system. Heating came from steel [[radiator (heating)|radiators]] on each floor; the radiators in the ground-floor banking rooms and the Singer Company's 33rd and 34th&nbsp;floor offices were enclosed within ornamental screens.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=63}}</ref> About 1,600 steam radiators were installed throughout the building.<ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=65}}</ref> As well as providing heat, the building's boilers also provided electric power to the entire building.<ref name="Semsch p. 87">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=87}}</ref> Initially, the Bourne and original Singer buildings had boilers aggregating {{Convert|546|hp||abbr=}} and power generators with a capacity of {{Convert|387.5|kW||abbr=}}.<ref name="Semsch pp. 80–81" /> With the 1906–1908 addition, boilers aggregating {{Convert|1925|hp||abbr=}} were installed,<ref name="ABM p. 434" /><ref name="Semsch p. 87" /> and generators with a capacity of {{Convert|1400|kW||abbr=}} were added, replacing the old ones. A steel smokestack at the northwest corner of the building was shared with the [[City Investing Building]] to the north.<ref name="Semsch pp. 80–81">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=80–81}}</ref>

====Lobby====
[[File:SingerBuilding15.jpg|thumb|alt= Photography of the interior view of the lobby |The interior view of the lobby mezzanine, September 1967. By this time, demolition had already commenced; masonry debris can be seen on the floor in this photo.]]
The lobby, accessed from Broadway,<ref name="HABS p. 94" /> was finished with [[Pavonazzo marble]] and had {{Convert|42|ST|LT t|abbr=}} of bronze work.<ref name="nyht19391114">{{cite news|date=November 14, 1939|title=New Copper Trimmings Fitted On Dome of the Singer Building|page=20|work=[[New York Herald Tribune]]|id={{ProQuest|1320004518}}}}</ref><ref name="Semsch p. 54">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=54}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' architectural writer [[Christopher Gray (architectural historian)|Christopher Gray]] characterized the lobby as exuding "celestial radiance".<ref name="nyt20050102" /> Two rows of eight square marble piers trimmed with bronze beading supported the lobby ceiling.<ref name="LC p. 360" /><ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref name="Semsch p. 54" /> Each pier was made of Pavonazzo marble and had a border of Montarenti Sienna marble.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> There were large bronze medallions atop each pier, depicting either the Singer Company's [[monogram]] or a needle, thread, and [[bobbin]].<ref name="nyt20050102" /><ref name="LC p. 360" /><ref name="Semsch p. 54" /> At the tops of the piers were decorative [[pendentives]],<ref name="Semsch p. 54" /> which supported glazed plaster domes above.<ref name="Semsch p. 68">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=68}}</ref> The pendentives were ornately decorated with gold leaf.<ref name="Semsch p. 72">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=72}}</ref> The domes' drums originally contained flat, circular amber glass lights in steel frames, which were later replaced with modern glass lighting fixtures.<ref name="HABS p. 95" />

Immediately outside the entrance, on either side of the lobby, were stairs leading up to a balcony and down to the basement,<ref name="HABS p. 94" /><ref name="Semsch p. 114">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=114}}</ref> while the south wall contained stairs to the original Singer Building.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref name="Semsch p. 114" /> The stairs were made of cast iron and wrought iron, and the handrails and [[newel]] posts were made of bronze.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> The elevators were clustered on the northern wall, opposite the stairs to the original Singer Building.<ref name="HABS p. 94" /><ref name="Semsch p. 114" /><ref name="LC p. 361">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=361}}</ref> Each of the elevator doors in the lobby were made of four bronze leaves.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> A balcony, trimmed with bronze, overlooked the lobby.<ref name="Semsch p. 54" /> There were Italian marble stairs at the rear of the lobby which split into two flights connecting to either portion of the balcony.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref name="Semsch p. 54" /> A master clock on the central landing of the rear stairs controlled all the clocks in the building.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=75}}</ref> The lobby was a popular spot for meetings.<ref name="Stern (1995) p. 1126" />

There were also two secondary entrances on Liberty Street—one to the original Singer Building and one to the Bourne Building. Both secondary entrances connected to the main lobby to the north. There was retail space on the ground floor as well.<ref name="LC p. 361" />

==== Basement ====
The boiler room and mechanical plant were in the basement, and consisted of five boilers and five generators.<ref name="Semsch pp. 80–81" /> The boilers were clustered under the western portion of the building, while an engine room was in the center. A pump room and machine room were in the southeastern corner, with a chief engineer's office, electrician's room, and waste paper room. A compressor room was at the northeastern corner.<ref name="Semsch pp. 84–85" />

From the basement, a corridor extended east to the safe deposit vaults.<ref name="Semsch pp. 84–85">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=84–85}}</ref> There were 10 vaults used by the Safe Deposit Company of New York, within a space of {{Convert|10000|ft2||abbr=}}. The vaults each contained several thousand [[safe deposit box]]es, and the vault walls were formed of several layers of steel. The door to the largest vault weighed over {{Convert|16|ST|LT t|abbr=}}. The vaults abutted three committee rooms for the company.<ref name="Semsch p. 112">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=112–113}}</ref>

==== Other floors ====
The 2nd through 13th floors contained offices flanking a T-shaped corridor facing away from the elevators.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /> The ceilings of these story were generally painted in white [[watercolor]] while the walls were light tan.<ref name="Semsch p. 72" /> In addition, these stories contained oak trim, partitions, and decorative moldings.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> The average story at the base contained 40 offices.<ref name="ABM p. 429" />

The tower stories contained a U-shaped layout surrounding the elevators in the center of the building, with emergency stairs in the tower's core. In the Singer Building's tower, there were very few partitions, except for elevators and restrooms.<ref name="HABS p. 95" /><ref>{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=71}}</ref> The average floor in the tower contained 16 offices.<ref name="ABM p. 429" /><ref name="nyt19070825" /> On these stories, the ceilings were painted ivory,<ref name="Semsch p. 72" /> the walls were olive green,<ref name="PA p. 170" /><ref name="Semsch p. 72" /> and the metal trim was painted to resemble wood grain.<ref name="PA p. 170" /> The Singer Company's main offices, on the 33rd through 35th&nbsp;floors, had a plethora of ornamental plaster.<ref name="Semsch p. 68" />

The highest publicly accessible point in the Singer Building was {{Convert|564|ft||abbr=}} above the curb, at the lantern balcony.<ref name="ER p. 630" /> When the [[observation deck]] opened on June&nbsp;23, 1908,<ref name="tribune19080624">{{cite news|date=June 24, 1908|title=Singer Tower Open to Public|page=6|work=New-York Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20967278/|access-date=August 14, 2020|via=newspapers.com|archive-date=March 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317125928/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20967278/singer-tower-open-to-public/|url-status=live}}</ref> visitors paid $0.50 ({{Inflation|index=US|value=0.50|start_year=1908|fmt=eq}}) to use the observation area at the top of the building. From this observation deck, visitors could see as far as {{Convert|30|mi||abbr=}} away.<ref name="LC p. 3542">{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|p=354}}</ref> After two people jumped from the deck and died, the Singer Tower was nicknamed "Suicide Pinnacle", and its deck was closed by the 1930s.<ref name="nyht19391114" /> From the observation deck, a series of steep ladders and stairs led to the lantern.<ref name="Semsch p. 41" />

==== Elevators ====
There were 15 [[Otis Worldwide|Otis]] electric traction elevators in the completed building,<ref name="courier19070324">{{cite news|date=March 24, 1907|title=Up 41-Story Skyscraper in 60 Seconds|page=27|work=Buffalo Courier|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57348426/|access-date=August 14, 2020|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|p=435}}</ref> and one electric-drum elevator, for a total of 16 elevators.<ref>{{harvnb|Landau|Condit|1996|ps=.|pp=360–361}}</ref><ref name="Semsch p. 46">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|p=46}}</ref> The tower portion had nine elevators, eight of which ran from the lobby.<ref name="Ripley p. 9461" /> Four were "local" elevators making all stops between the lobby and the 13th&nbsp;floor; two of these continued down to the basement. Four "express" elevators ran from the lobby to the upper floors; three of them terminated at the 35th&nbsp;floor and the fourth at the 40th&nbsp;floor. Another "shuttle" elevator served only the 35th through 38th&nbsp;floors.<ref name="Ripley p. 9461" /><ref>{{cite magazine|date=September 28, 1907|title=Elevators in the Singer Building|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_040_13.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=80|pages=475|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2063|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128053603/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_040_13.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The elevators could carry loads of up to {{Convert|2500|lb||abbr=}} and could travel from the lobby to the top floor at {{Convert|600|ft/min||abbr=}}, faster than any other elevator then in existence.<ref name="courier19070324" /><ref name="Semsch p. 46" /><ref>{{harvnb|Architects' and Builders' Magazine|1908|ps=.|p=436}}</ref>

The base had seven elevators: four in the Bourne Building and three in the original Singer Building. Two of the elevators in the base, one each in the Bourne and original Singer buildings, served all floors from the basement to the roof. The other five ran only from the first floor to the 14th&nbsp;floor.<ref name="Semsch p. 46" /> The original Singer Building's elevators were in a single group on the southeastern side of the building, while the Bourne Building's elevators were in two pairs opposite each other.<ref name="Semsch p. 114" /> The building's managers hired female [[elevator operators]], whom they characterized as "businesslike in appearance and polite in manner", as opposed to the "slovenly male operator with the ever-ready 'back talk'".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|date=June 7, 1998|title=Streetscapes/Readers' Questions; Lamartine Place, And Women Running Elevators|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questions-lamartine-place-and-women-running-elevators.html|access-date=August 14, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527075555/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/07/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questions-lamartine-place-and-women-running-elevators.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The cabs also had telephones, with which the elevator operators and starters could communicate.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=January 29, 1910|title=The Metropolitan Elevators|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_045_5.pdf|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=86|page=216|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2185|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128055334/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_045_5.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Semsch pp. 49–50">{{harvnb|Semsch|1908|ps=.|pp=49–50}}</ref>