The purchase was widely viewed as a symbolic "passing of the torch" from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to the modern, tech-driven coworking economy.

Lord & Taylor, the oldest department store chain in the U.S., was struggling with the rise of e-commerce.

The acquisition of the historic by WeWork (as part of a joint venture with Rhône Capital ) was a landmark real estate deal that signaled a major shift in Manhattan’s commercial landscape. The Deal Overview

At the time, WeWork was one of the world's highest-valued startups (peaking at $47 billion) and was aggressively expanding its physical footprint.

Renowned architect Bjarke Ingels was hired to oversee a massive renovation that aimed to preserve the building’s Italian Renaissance-style facade while modernizing the interior. The Downfall and Resale