Cathedral Building
Encyclopedia
Located in Oakland, California
, the Cathedral Building, originally named the Federal Realty Building, was the first Gothic Revival style
skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. It is also called the "Wedding Cake" for its appearance, which resembles New York's Flatiron Building
. Its narrow, triangular form is a result of its location on Latham Square, where Telegraph Avenue
branches off diagonally from Broadway. It was built by architect Benjamin Geer McDougall, who designed the steel framed building. The building has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It is currently owned by Brog Properties, a Downtown Oakland
development firm. They are renovating the building for mixed residential and commercial units.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, the Cathedral Building, originally named the Federal Realty Building, was the first Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. It is also called the "Wedding Cake" for its appearance, which resembles New York's Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper...
. Its narrow, triangular form is a result of its location on Latham Square, where Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Avenue is a street that begins, at its southernmost point, in the midst of the historic downtown district of Oakland, California, USA, and ends, at its northernmost point, at the southern edge of the University of California campus in Berkeley, California...
branches off diagonally from Broadway. It was built by architect Benjamin Geer McDougall, who designed the steel framed building. The building has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is currently owned by Brog Properties, a Downtown Oakland
Downtown Oakland
Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California; roughly bounded by 6th Street or the Oakland Estuary on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lake Merritt on the east....
development firm. They are renovating the building for mixed residential and commercial units.