Iconic, art deco office tower from 1931 with exhibits & observatories on the 86th & 102nd floors.

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Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, a defining feature of the New York City skyline, uniquely incorporates an Art Deco design, a style rarely seen at such a monumental scale. Its construction, completed in a mere 410 days during the Great Depression, served as a powerful symbol of American resilience. Originally intended to serve as a mooring mast for dirigibles, this feature proved impractical due to strong winds, highlighting an ambitious yet ultimately unrealized vision. The building's distinctive setbacks, initially designed to comply with zoning laws ensuring sunlight reached the streets below, inadvertently contributed to its iconic silhouette. The spire, often illuminated in vibrant colors to commemorate special occasions, is not merely decorative; it also houses broadcasting antennas, transmitting signals for numerous television and radio stations. The building's internal zip codes, assigned to major tenants, underscore its status as a self-contained urban entity.

Introduction

On July 28, 1945, the Empire State Building was struck by a B-25 Mitchell bomber due to heavy fog. The United States Army Air Forces plane, en route from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Newark Airport, crashed into the north side of the building between the 78th and 80th floors. The impact created an 18-by-20-foot hole, causing significant damage and igniting a fire that was extinguished in 40 minutes, a record for a fire at that height.

The crash resulted in 14 fatalities: three crew members aboard the plane and eleven people inside the building, primarily from the War Relief Services department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference. An estimated twenty-four others were injured. One of the plane's engines pierced through the building, landing on the roof of a nearby structure and starting another fire. The other engine plummeted down an elevator shaft, severing cables. Despite this, elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived a 75-floor fall, setting a Guinness World Record.

Eyewitnesses at the time, amid World War II, initially feared a bombing. The accident caused approximately $1 million in damages, but the building's structural integrity remained intact. The Empire State Building reopened the following Monday. The incident prompted a review of air traffic control procedures in dense urban areas.

1945 Plane Crash

The Empire State Building's construction, commencing March 17, 1930, was a revolutionary feat achieved in just one year and 45 days, a month ahead of schedule, under the project management of Starrett Brothers & Eken, Inc. This rapid construction was facilitated by innovative methods, including beginning work on lower floors before upper floor specifications were finalized and prefabricating building portions off-site. A detailed construction schedule coordinated all activities.

The workforce peaked at 3,400, encompassing diverse trades: arch laborers, bricklayers, carpenters, derrick operators, electricians, elevator installers, heating and ventilation installers, plumbers, and steelworkers, alongside support staff. Miniature railroad tracks expedited horizontal material transport within the building, with specialized cars easing the workload. Concessionaires operating restaurants on various levels minimized worker downtime during lunch breaks.

The building's façade utilized a pioneering curtain wall design, integrating 6,500 windows and reducing stone usage by 75%. This design enabled a wall construction rate of one story per day, with fourteen floors completed in ten days during peak activity in September 1930.

However, modern labor disputes have arisen, with Laborers Local 79 protesting the Empire State Realty Trust's hiring of substandard contractors who do not pay area standard wages and benefits. This conflict highlights ongoing concerns about fair labor practices associated with the building's maintenance and operations.

Construction and Labor

The Empire State Building features observation decks on the 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors, offering panoramic views of New York City. The 86th-floor observatory has both an enclosed viewing gallery and an open-air outdoor viewing area that remains open year-round. A special glass elevator provides access from the 86th floor to the 102nd floor in under a minute. The 102nd-floor observatory, completely enclosed, underwent redesigns, including a 2019 renovation that extended the windows from floor to ceiling and widened the space. The 80th-floor observatory, opened in 2019, includes exhibits and a Stephen Wiltshire mural of the skyline.

The observatories are a major attraction, drawing millions of visitors annually. Ticket prices vary based on demand and time of day, with an additional fee for access to the 102nd floor. Other ticket options include sunrise viewings, VIP guided tours, and AM/PM packages for two visits in one day. The building's elevators, originally designed to move at 1,200 feet per minute, were limited to 700 feet per minute at the time of construction due to city law. An additional elevator connects the 86th and 102nd-floor observatories, providing access to the 102nd floor after ticket scanning and employee access to mechanical floors. The observation decks are accessible between 9 AM and 11 PM.

Observation Decks

The Empire State Building stands as an iconic example of Art Deco architecture, a modernist style influential between 1920 and 1939. Its design embraces modern materials like steel and plate glass, incorporating elements from various architectural traditions into a unique style. The building's form features receding levels, moving away from the street as it rises, culminating in a pyramid-like shape, reminiscent of Ziggurats found in Mesopotamian civilizations.

The Art Deco style is further defined by a high level of ornamentation, typically in bright, metallic colors, showcasing sunbursts, zigzags, and other dramatic shapes with a graphic, flattened appearance. The building's symmetrical massing, resulting from its large lot and relatively short base, is articulated into three horizontal sections: base, shaft, and capital, similar to a column's components. Setbacks, mandated by the 1916 Zoning Resolution to allow sunlight to reach the streets, are located at the 21st, 25th, 30th, 72nd, 81st, and 85th stories.

The facade, clad in Indiana limestone panels, gives the building its signature blonde color. The facade incorporates 200,000 cubic feet of limestone and granite, ten million bricks, and 730 short tons of aluminum and stainless steel. Geometric decorative features adorn the facade, contrasting with earlier buildings that often used decorations to represent specific narratives. The main entrance on Fifth Avenue features metal doors flanked by molded piers topped with eagles, a triple-height transom window with geometric patterns, and the words "Empire State." The Fifth Avenue lobby showcases shimmering starbursts and metallic touches, gilding the halls, elevators, and ceiling. The vast mural along the ceiling of the lobby depicts a celestial sky in classic Art Deco style, adorned with 23-karat gold stars, sunbursts, and gears.

Art Deco Architecture

The Empire State Building held the record for the world's tallest skyscraper, measured to structural height, for 42 years, until the completion of the World Trade Center's North Tower in 1970. Before that, it was the tallest human-made structure from 1954, surpassing the Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma (KWTV Mast), and the tallest freestanding structure until the Ostankino Tower's completion in 1967. A proposal in the early 1970s considered replacing the spire with 11 additional floors to regain the title of world's tallest, reaching 1,494 feet (455 m), but the plan was rejected.

Following the September 11 attacks and the destruction of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building once again became New York City's tallest building, and the second-tallest in the Americas, second only to the Willis Tower in Chicago. This lasted until One World Trade Center exceeded its height in April 2012. As of 2022, it ranks as the seventh-tallest building in New York City and the tenth-tallest in the United States. Globally, it stood as the 49th-tallest building as of February 2021, and the eleventh-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas, trailing behind other U.S. skyscrapers and the CN Tower. The building's final design included a 200-foot metal crown and a 222-foot mooring mast, bringing its roof height to 1,250 feet (380 m) and solidifying its status as the world's tallest building.

Height Records

The Empire State Building quickly became a cultural icon of both New York City and the United States, symbolizing American ingenuity, ambition, and the city's enduring spirit. Initially a symbol of hope during the Depression, it represented accomplishment and a new America. Travel companies adopted it as a symbol of the city early in its history. It has often been hailed as one of the "seven wonders of the modern world" and has been called the Eighth Wonder of the World since shortly after its opening.

Its image frequently appears in films, novels, and marketing campaigns, often representing the American dream and an indomitable spirit. Its debut in the film "King Kong" cemented its place in popular culture, and it has since appeared in countless films, becoming a symbol of romance, ambition, and the magic of New York City.

The Empire State Building's size became a standard of reference for describing the height and length of other structures globally. The building was named "America's favorite building" in a 2007 survey by the American Institute of Architects. The panels installed in the lobby in 1963 reflected its iconic status, showing the seven original wonders alongside the Empire State Building. The building's cultural significance led to its designation as a city landmark in 1981 and a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Empire State Building

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