6. New York Life Building

Perhaps not as impressive as the Woolworth Building from the ground level, the New York Life Building is Cass Gilbert’s last significant building in New York City. The building rises 615 feet from the ground, and is topped by an impressive pyramidal gilded roof, where six stories of mechanical services are enclosed in.

Located on 51 Madison Avenue, across from Madison Square Park, the New York Life Building is a monumental building housing the New York Life Insurance Company’s headquarters and occupies the full block between 26th and 27th streets, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South.  From its inception, the building has been a symbol of corporate authority as well as a powerful advertising image.

The glimmering tower roof was reconfigured in 1966-67 where the original copper and gold leaf was replaced by golden ceramic tiles. Nevertheless, it has remained highly visible among its rivals across the New York skyline.