In 1910, Frank Woolworth took a leap and commissioned the design and construction of the Woolworth Building in New York City. A pioneering early skyscraper, more than twice the height of most other buildings in New York City at the time, it was designed by American architect Cass Gilbert, a graduate of the MIT architecture school. The building was entirely paid for in cash. It was completed in 1913 and was the tallest building in the world until 1930 when the Empire State Building was constructed.