Final answer:
The Woolworth Building, created by Cass Gilbert in 1913, is chiefly characterized by its vertical emphasis and white-glazed terra-cotta tiles that create a continuous vertical thrust. It also incorporated elaborate mosaics and stained glass in its lobby, reflecting the building's capitalistic grandeur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chief visual characteristic of the historic Woolworth Building of 1913 in New York, designed by architect Cass Gilbert, is its verticality. This vertical emphasis is a significant departure from the relative horizontality of the skyscrapers in Chicago at the time, as well as from the base and tower divisions seen in earlier New York skyscrapers like the Singer Building. Cass Gilbert utilized steel-frame construction techniques, which allowed the Woolworth Building to rise 57 stories, reaching 792 feet, and hold the title of the world's tallest building until 1930.
The building's upward thrust is further accentuated by its white-glazed terra-cotta tiles that run along the building's piers from base to top with minimal interruption from cornices or window spandrels. This vertical design is further enhanced by the building's location on Broadway, adjacent to City Hall Park, which allows for an unobstructed view of the full height of the tower, reinforcing the impression of its ceaseless ascent into the sky.
The Woolworth Building's grandeur didn't end at its exterior. Inside, the building boasts a barrel-vaulted lobby lavishly adorned with mosaics and stained glass, reminiscent of Christian art and architecture, reflecting the opulence of that era's capitalism. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the Woolworth Building did not shy away from ornate design, both on its facade and in its interior, which contributed to its distinctiveness in the historical New York skyline.