Imperial State Building. Empire State Building: the history of the famous tower

The Empire State Building, which for a long time was the tallest building in the world, repeats its own image on the central panel of a huge (30 meters long) and high (three floors) lobby.

In this seemingly “holy” image, the Empire State Building, painted in gold paint, is surrounded by a halo of divine radiance and medallions illustrating the achievements of mankind on the path to progress.

An object:
Location: New York, USA
Project: Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Height: 381 m
Materials: steel, brick, aluminum and limestone
Year of construction: 1931
STYLE: art deco
The onset of an economic depression cut the projected cost of construction in half

The "center of the universe" and the eighth wonder of the world, the Empire State Building is frankly proud of having once held the world height record. He took it from him in 1931 and owned it until 1972, when the construction of the World Trade Center marked the beginning of a new era.

John Jacob Raskob was tormented by envy. The founder of General Motors simply could not live knowing that his rival, Walter Chrysler, had recently built the tallest building in the world. But Raskob had his own ideas. He went to William Lamb, one of the partners in the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, and shared with him his dream of a skyscraper that would outshine the Chrysler building. Raskob asked a very simple and at the same time intimidating question: “How tall can you make him without him falling over?”

Soon the old Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue near 34th Street was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building.

It was named so thanks to George Washington: when he sailed along the Hudson River, he noticed that this place would be "symbolic for the new empire."

After the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Empire State Building reluctantly returned to its role as the main symbol of New York and America. Its easily recognizable image is built on the foundation of statistics that operate with unprecedented figures: 10 million bricks, a total weight of 365,000 tons, 59,800 tons of steel beams, 687 km of electrical wires and 2 million square meters of windows, which are constantly washed by a special team.

bold plan

Only two criteria were stated: that the building should look like a pencil, and that it be taller than anything on Earth. Not surprisingly, the size and weight of the project threatened danger. Its location was considered commercially "not very profitable." No prospective tenant has turned up yet. And the stock market began to fall, and then the whole country was in the face of the Great Depression.

With such an unstable foundation, the building needed another, stronger one. 210 concrete and steel columns were driven into the granite base of Manhattan Island. This platform, only two stories deep, had to support a tower 102 stories high (380 meters) and weighing about 365 tons.

An architect once said, "Of what we do in peacetime, building skyscrapers is the closest thing to war." For this battle, an army of workers and craftsmen was assembled, 3,000 of them working on the construction site at any time of the day. High-rise fitters were considered heroes among them, many of them

They were Indians from the Mohawk and Iroquois tribes, because Native Americans are known for their fearlessness. These brave guys worked 13 hours a day for just $1.92 an hour, they hung at insane heights and riveted over 50,000 heavy steel beams, each of which weighed a ton - enough to build a railroad between New York and Baltimore. The remarkably smooth beams, with an error of no more than 3 mm, were installed and fastened together in just eight hours after they were produced at the Pittsburgh plant.

Despite the fact that the project was changed 16 times during the development and design process, it was built 45 days ahead of the deadline, and another 5 million remained from the budget. An amazing $41 million skyscraper rose above the city in record time (less than 14 months), and so far no one has built such buildings faster. Nowhere does the building deviate more than 6 mm from the center, it has 10 million bricks and 2 hectares of windows. The sophisticated art deco style is emphasized by graceful, gradually converging walls, or "ledges", which are officially recognized in the building codes of New York.

Architectural features of the Empire State Building:

The architectural power of this building lies in its volume distribution. A series of buildings rises from the five-story base, gradually turning into a central structure that extends like a telescope to a height of 86 floors. Tapering, the structure continues to rise until it passes into the antenna.
The movie King Kong (1933) used symbolic images of the Empire State Building as scenery. Against the backdrop of the tower and antenna of the building, which was already planned to be used as a pier for airships, an allegorical struggle was unfolding between the creation of Nature and artificial civilization.
Throughout the facade of the skyscraper, endlessly repeating rows of modular windows stretch, grouped horizontally, but also aligned vertically, which emphasizes the direction of empty and filled spaces.
During the construction of the Empire State Building, ready-made blocks were used, which significantly reduced the time of its construction.
Since the 1940s, the Empire State Building has been one of New York's tourist attractions. About two million tourists annually climbed its observation deck to admire the breathtaking views of the city from there.
On major holidays and significant days, the top of the skyscraper sparkled with multi-colored illumination.

The entire dynamic bulk of the evil symbol of power and power of the 1930s is distributed over volumes, unrestrainedly striving upwards under the attentive gaze of the audience. From a five-story base with an area of 0.65 hectares, a series of buildings rises, which gradually narrow, after which the corner sections pass into a central structure that extends like a telescope to a height of 86 floors. The structure continues to rise, imperceptibly passing into the antenna.

The sense of plasticity emanating from this giant object, firmly rooted in the ground and at the same time aspiring to the sky, is enhanced by repeating rows of modular windows, grouped horizontally, but also aligned vertically, which emphasizes the orientation of empty and filled spaces and creates a recognizable ornamental motif.

Forms of the Empire State Building, closely associated with Art Deco, are revealed from a completely unexpected side and from completely unexpected angles. First of all, there is a triumphant, but somewhat threatening image of the Tower of Babel; then the cinematic imagery of that era, like the fantastic buildings in Fritz Lang's film Metropolis, and images from the comics; and finally, the fantastic images of the city of the future, drawn by Hugh Ferriss.

It is important to emphasize that the extreme vertical orientation of the Empire State Building was the result of changes in the rules governing urban development in Manhattan. To equalize the rights of individual citizens who built houses on own land, with the rights of those who agreed with the need to build skyscrapers, two types of structures were developed, depending on the place of construction.

The first represented a kind of ziggurat, when the building was built in ledges, but up to a certain height, while the second, with a clearly defined central section, could, theoretically, rise to any height - these were skyscrapers with a central tower, or "bell tower", which replaced the old ones, "vertically oriented" skyscrapers.

The Empire State Building, along with the Seagram Building, is a landmark of midtown New York, just as the twin towers were a landmark of downtown - from the observation decks of these skyscrapers, breathtaking views of the city and the surrounding landscape opened up.

The Empire State owed its success at the beginning of the “career” to the last circumstance. Its owners had difficulty finding companies willing to rent office space. Fortunately, the viewing platforms, which have become a place of pilgrimage for tourists, saved the building from imminent bankruptcy. Considering that the construction of the building and its commissioning fell on the years of the banking collapse and the Great Depression that followed it, from which America recovered only after World War II, making the Empire State Building prosperous was far from easy.

The symbol of the city

After the skyscraper was built, there were so few tenants in the 186,000 m2 of total space that it was nicknamed the "Empty State Building". But now there are more than 15,000 employees in the offices, and countless visitors come to them. If you climb to the observation deck in one minute, you can take a look at the surroundings at a distance of up to 128 kilometers.

Until 1972, the building remained the tallest in the world, then the infamous towers of the World Trade Center were built.

Even if it was not an ideal investment from a financial point of view, it was a huge success as a symbol of America. Hollywood was ready to exploit it - interiors, observation decks and views from them appear in all their splendor in films such as King Kong (filmed in 1933, when construction had just closed), In the City (1949) , Empire (filmed by Andy Warhol in 1964) and Manhattan (filmed by Woody Allen in 1979). His role in these films was the main one: the gymnastic platform for the exercises of a giant gorilla, the background against which the love story unfolds, the stage for the experimental theater of the absurd.

The Empire State is so popular that it almost humanizes in the imagination of many New Yorkers and some fringe artists. In his paintings, M. Vriesendorp exaggerates many features of skyscrapers and endows them with human qualities. Here is the plot of the most famous of them: Rockefeller Center opens the doors of the bedroom and to its amazement finds in the same bed the masculine Empire State Building and the feminine-elegant Chrysler Building. The bed cover is painted in the form of the city plan of Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty plays the role of a night lamp, and other skyscrapers look in with curiosity through the bedroom window.

Built for purely promotional purposes rather than out of any practical necessity, the Empire State Building, more than any other skyscraper of its generation, succeeded as the standard-bearer and symbol of the American dream. His image was replicated in countless advertising projects, and along with the images of the Chrysler Building, the Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty, he rose - on a planetary scale - to the level of an icon.

The appearance in the relatively young city of Las Vegas of skyscrapers cut in the New York pattern testifies to the wide popularity and triumph of this model, designed to symbolize the imperial state (New York) and continues to this day to represent the paradoxical spiritualism of the financial power of capitalism.

New York is a city of thousands of skyscrapers, each of which is unique and inimitable in its own way. But only one of them managed to gain worldwide fame, and forever firmly gain a foothold in the history of the city. The Big Apple is proud Empire State Building - the most recognizable landmark.

Located in the southern part of Manhattan Island, near 5th Avenue, at the intersection of 33rd and 34th Streets. Nearby are several significant places in the city, such as the City University of New York, Madison Avenue and Broadway. You can get there by car or public transport.

skyscraper height

The height of the Empire State Building in New York is just over 443 meters (including the spire), and the height on the roof of the building is 381 m. The last floor is located at around 373.1 m.

In total, the building has 103 floors. All of them occupy an area of more than 200 thousand square meters. For the convenience of visitors, it is equipped with 73 elevators that will take you to the very top in a matter of minutes.

85 tiers are reserved for offices. There are observation decks on two more. In the rest of the building there are exhibition halls, trading floors and halls for business meetings and negotiations.

Story

Its history began at the beginning of the last century. At that time, a real boom in the construction of skyscrapers began in America.

Design

A well-known architect, William Lamb, was invited to work on the project. The legendary skyscraper was not his first creation. He also designed the famous Carew Tower and the Reynolds Building.

According to the author's idea, the object was to become not only the tallest building, but also the first 100-story building in America. As a result, according to the project, the Empire State Building gained 103 floors and a 60-meter spire. The latter, by the way, was originally intended to be used for re-mooring airships. However, due to the danger of collision and constant strong winds, it was decided to abandon this idea. Now the spire is used as a radio and television antenna.

Construction

Construction began in 1930. The main contractors were the brothers Starrett and Eken. The project was financed by Pierre Dupont and John Raskob.

The process involved almost 3.5 thousand workers from Europe, as well as casters of Indian origin, who were not at all afraid of heights.

At the time of construction, an old hotel was located on the site where the construction was planned. The former building had to be demolished, and the hotel itself was moved to Fifth Avenue.

To bring the project to life, several tons of aluminum, steel, limestone, concrete and granite were used. Construction lasted only 13 months, which by those standards is very fast.

Opening

It was solemnly opened on May 1, 1931. The red ribbon was cut by the then head of state, Al Smith. At the same moment, the President of the country pressed a button in the capital, and the skyscraper shone with thousands of lights.

Despite all the pomposity, initially it did not gain much popularity. Such a reaction, first of all, was due to the Great Depression, prevailing at that time in America.

Due to the crisis, the offices were completely filled only after a decade. The skyscraper brought its first profit only in 1951.

Among the most original are:

elevators go up in 1 minute;
an annual speed climb competition is held. The first person to climb 1860 steps will receive $1 million;
during the Second World War, a plane crashed into a skyscraper due to heavy fog;
the Empire State Building has a hall dedicated to world records;
the skyscraper has its own index;
the name embodies the grandeur of the state of New York;
more than 50 weddings are held here annually;
attendance - about 35 thousand people a year;
Almost 100 lightning strikes the Empire State Building each year;
the high-rise "played" a major role in the film about King Kong;
the building has survived more than two dozen suicides in its history;
listed on the US National Register of Historic Places;
a professional athlete from Australia completed all the steps in less than 10 minutes.

Specifications

The height, together with the spire, is a little more than 440 m. The width of the structure is 140 m. The choice of such dimensions is due to the need for natural light and the correct installation of the ventilation system. The main support is the first five flights of stairs of the building, on which there are shops and a lobby.

The Empire State Building has 6,500 windows with a total area of 2 km². The design is as simple as possible. This greatly facilitated and accelerated the construction process.

The spire consists of 16 tiers. At its very top, an antenna is installed that transmits television and radio signals throughout the country.

architectural features

The main distinguishing feature of the buildings of the early 20th century was restraint and elegance. In this regard, The Empire State Building was erected in the classic art deco style. The facade is finished with steel and gray limestone slabs.

The Empire State Building was one of the first skyscrapers to be built using prefabricated steel frames. The assembled structure was overlaid with brick, after which it was revetted.

Lighting

In addition to conventional lighting, it is equipped with additional lighting. In 1964, special spotlights were installed on the upper part, and the famous skyscraper sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow.

The color scheme is selected depending on the day and event. For example, on days sports games the top lights up in the colors of a particular team, on the day of the gay parades - in multi-colored colors, and on St. Patrick's Day - in green.

When the world heard the news of the death of Frank Sinatra, in memory of him the building was dressed in blue, in honor of the birthday of the Queen of Great Britain, the skyscraper lit up with the colors of the royal house.

Interior

During its long history, the interior has undergone some changes. So, initially the design was very modest and inconspicuous. Perhaps that is why it was problematic to rent out offices for a long time. After the events of September 11, many large companies moved into the building and decorated the premises in their own style.

The lobby is decorated with German marble, in discreet gray-lilac tones. At the end of the corridor, there is an aluminum bas-relief depicting a skyscraper basking in the sun.

Lookouts

Thanks to the viewing platforms, it has become extremely popular among both locals and visitors to the city. In total, more than 110 million people have already visited it.

The skyscraper boasts two of them at once. One is on tier 86. The viewing angle from this place is as much as 360 degrees, thanks to which the Big Apple is visible at a glance.

No less impressive view opens from the 102nd tier. This observation platform is slightly inferior in size to the first one, and for maximum safety of visitors, it is completely glazed. She doesn't work all the time. On very busy days, the site is closed.

On the 2nd floor there is a fascinating attraction. It was created specifically for the guests of the famous metropolis. The New York Skyride is a simulated flight over New York City. The virtual tour lasts 25 minutes. During this time, you can fly around the whole city and visit its most famous sights in absentia.

The attraction operates all year round. The ticket price is $52. Opening hours - from 8.00 to 22.00.

Exhibition "Sustainability"

He is also famous for his unusual exhibitions. To get started, you should go up to the second floor of the building and visit the Sustainability exhibition. Its main task is to show what internal and external changes have taken place in the Empire State Building over time.

During the tour, you can see building materials, sculptures, Newest technologies used for reconstruction. For better perception, all processes are presented on digital displays.

Exhibition "Don't be afraid to dream"

Climbing up to the 80th floor, you can see an equally interesting exhibition - "Don't be afraid to dream." It demonstrates all stages of design and construction of the world's first 100-story skyscraper. The name of the exhibition was not chosen by chance.

Visitors to the exhibition can not only learn complete history skyscrapers, but also see the original sketches, accounting documents, photographs.

How to get there

There are several ways to get there. It can be either your own car or public transport.

To get to your destination by subway, you need to take the Herald Square stations (lines B, N, R, M, D, Q, F) or Penn Station (lines 1,2 and 3). If your choice fell on the bus, then you should use the routes M4, M10, M16 and M34. If desired, you can use the services of a taxi. The time and cost of the trip will depend on the point of departure.

Opening hours

Works daily, without days off. Hours of operation are from 8:00 am to 2:00 am. The elevator makes its last ascent to the observation deck at 1.15. The time spent in the building and on observation decks throughout the day is not limited.

How to get

Entrance to the territory is absolutely free for all visitors. But to get to the observation decks, you need to purchase a ticket. You can go upstairs either by elevator or on foot.

Purchasing tickets

To avoid long queues, it is better to purchase a ticket in advance before visiting. This can be done at the box office or on the official website. Entrance to the 86th floor observation deck will cost $32. For a complex visit, you will have to pay $ 52. If you could not buy a ticket in advance, and you do not want to stand in line for a long time, you can buy an express pass. The cost is $55 and $75 respectively.

Local residents can get to the observation decks with a special city ticket. Schoolchildren, students and pensioners receive discounts.

You should know:

there are no left-luggage offices, so all personal items will have to be carried with you;
security does not allow bulky items and bags to be carried to the upper floors;
tickets must be purchased in advance;
there is a strong wind blowing on the 86th floor, so you should take a hat with you;
to see the city through binoculars, you need to stock up on 50-cent coins;
It is better to visit observation platforms in the morning.

Official website and other contact information

Address: New York, Manhattan, 350 Fifth Avenue

The Empire State Building is one of the first and legendary skyscrapers in New York that has become its symbols. It was called the eighth wonder of the world, and until 1972 it proudly bore the title of the tallest building in the world. The history of construction is rich in interesting facts, both amazing and sad.

Building architecture

The project, which took only 2 weeks, was developed by a group of architects from Shreve, Lam and Harmon. In the design of the building, they successfully combined the mood of the public during the Great Depression and the new requirements for urban development.

skyscraper has stepped shape, narrows at the top. This is one of the requirements of the Urban Zoning Act (1916). The narrowing of the upper floors was to provide good street lighting.

The facades are devoid of any decor and are maximally simplified, however, the object is undoubtedly attributed to the Art Deco style. Not the last role in this is played by a set of materials - chrome steel, plastic and glass. A new and bold combination for that period of time.

New York skyscraper construction

In January 1930, construction began on the Empire State Building in New York. At the preparatory stage, a foundation pit was dug, utilities were laid, and a foundation was erected. In March of the same year, construction of the main part began.

All works were based on the conveyor principle. This is especially clearly demonstrated by the fact that the steel frame parts were mounted 8 hours after they were manufactured at the factory.

Directly at the construction site, coal furnaces were installed, in which rivets for the frame beams were heated. By the way, it was assembled up to the 86th floor in six months. In parallel with the assembly of the steel frame, plumbers and electricians worked inside the building, laying engineering communications.

Empire State Building - facts and figures

The famous New York skyscraper impresses not only with its scale, but also with some facts that not everyone knows about.

Empire State Building in numbers

Some of the figures given by statistics and historical chronicle make us look at the Empire State Building with different eyes:

the construction took 10,000,000 bricks, 60,000 tons of steel elements, 6,500 window structures, about 700 km of electrical cables;
about 100 lightning bolts a year strike the spire;
the height by the end of construction was 381 m, but after the installation of the television tower, it increased to 443 m;
total weight of the building 365,000 tons;
about 3,000 people constantly worked at the construction site;
the construction of the skyscraper took a record 410 days;
the building has 103 floors, the connection between which is provided by 73 elevators;
the observation decks of the Empire State Building were visited by 110,000,000 people;
the offices of the skyscraper employ about 30,000 people;
the cost of the building at the time of completion was $41,000,000, and in 2014 it was valued at $629,000,000.

There were some sad statistics. According to official figures, 5 people died during the construction.

The Empire State Building in New York is remembered not only for its height, architecture, but also for several interesting facts his "biography".

The title is one of the most famous skyscrapers The United States received, thanks to the unofficial name of New York - Empire State or "Imperial State".
It was possible to rent out all the offices of the tower only a decade after construction.
At the highest point, it was planned to install a spire for mooring airships. In practice, this turned out to be impracticable due to the strong eddy currents of air at altitude.
Every year on February 5, running competitions are held in the skyscraper. The winner is the one who overcomes 1576 steps in a record short time.
Since the building contains a huge number of offices, it has your postal code - 10118.
The main load is borne not by the foundation, but by the steel frame. This allows you to significantly reduce the weight of the structure.
The Empire State Building has been the subject of several films. The most famous of them is "King Kong" (1933).
A magnificent panorama opens from the observation deck. You can view the surroundings at a distance of 128 km.

Wide known fact is that for the construction of the high-rise, installers from the Mohawk tribe were attracted, who were not afraid of heights.

New York skyscraper illuminated

Decades after the construction of the Empire State Building, the Empire State Building has become a symbol of the American dream and has won special love from US citizens. He caused a new wave of interest and sympathy in 1964, when the upper part of the building was equipped with searchlights. They illuminated the TV tower and the last floors on holidays or any significant dates. The system still works today.

Each holiday and event corresponds certain colors of illumination. So, after the death of F. Sinatra, these were blue lights, on the anniversary of the Queen of Great Britain - purple-gold. After the destruction of the World Trade Center, the tower was illuminated in red, white and blue for several months. During the US Open tournament (tennis), yellow dominates.

On some memorable dates, the backlight is turned off completely for a short time.

Interesting fact! In 2012, 10 floodlights were replaced with 1,200 LEDs. They provide a wide range of backlight colors and are fully computer controlled. Currently, about 16 million colors are available to illuminate the top of the skyscraper.

On the official website of the Empire Building, you can always find out the current color of the backlight, as well as what it was like yesterday, what it will be like on the next significant date.

Incidents at the Empire State Building

In July 1945, an American bomber crashed into the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors. The impact was so strong that the engine flew right through the building. The skyscraper itself received no particular damage. Most of the offices opened the next day without any problems. The collision claimed 14 lives.

The Empire State Building is, first of all, a huge office center, and also one of the most attractive tourist sites in the city. The skyscraper is considered the second largest office building in the country, second only to the US military - the Pentagon. 85 floors of the Empire State Building are occupied by offices, where 21 thousand employees work daily, and observation decks are located on its two floors.

The designers planned to use the long spire of the skyscraper as a mooring mast for mooring airships. But later this idea was abandoned, because strong winds almost always blow at the level of the spire. In addition, the architects had little idea of the features of aeronautics on airships. In the drawings, they depicted passengers who enter the spire of the Empire State Building from the nose of the aircraft, when in reality loading and unloading should take place in a gondola located under the airship. So the idea of the designers could not be implemented in principle.

Back in December 1931, just six months after construction was completed, an antenna was installed on the spire of the building, with the help of which, as an experiment, NBC conducted the first transmission of a television signal. And 10 years later, the era of commercial television began. Today, the high-rise building of the Empire State Building houses the transmitters of almost all TV channels and radio stations in the city.

Construction history

The first half of the last century was held in New York under the motto "Who will be able to build the tallest skyscraper?". Since 1913, for 27 years, the Woolvolt Building has held the palm. This building had 57 floors and reached a height of 241 m. Then the 70-story Trump Bilbing, located at 40 Wall Street, became the leader. It rose 282.5 m into the sky. This record did not last long - only two months. The next favorite was the Chrysler Building. The height of this skyscraper with a long spire reached 320 m.

Construction stages of the Empire State Building

The designers of the new high-rise building faced a difficult task. They needed to create more than just a new champion. They wanted to build a building that would become a real legend.

The design work was led by the architect William Lamb, who at that time already had experience in designing the Reynolds Building and the Carew Tower. The well-known financier and businessman John Raskob undertook to invest in large-scale construction, as well as Pierre Dupont, who at the same time was one of the leaders of America's largest chemical concert, DuPont, and the automotive giant General Motors.

The site for the new record-breaking skyscraper was chosen at the intersection of West 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. In those days, there was an old Waldorf-Astoria hotel (Waldorf-Astoria). It consisted of two buildings, which were connected by a wide hall. Both buildings were built in the 90s XIX years century, designed by New York architect Henry J. Hardenberg. And the Esther family owned this hotel.

When the decision was made to build a huge skyscraper, a new building began to be built for the hotel on Fifth Avenue. In the late autumn of 1929, the old hotel began to be demolished, and more than 16 thousand trucks of broken bricks and stone fragments were taken out of here.

Famous footage from the construction of the Empire State Building

Skyscraper in September 1930

The main construction began on March 17, 1930, on St. Patrick's Day, and it began with earthworks and the laying of a huge foundation. Then, in record time - from the beginning of April to the end of November - a frame was erected from steel beams. The skyscraper was recognized as the tallest building in the world back in September 1930, when the builders completed the installation of the 85th floor of the frame.

The construction was huge - 3,439 people took part in it, most of which were emigrants who had recently arrived on American soil. Mohawk Indians were used in high-altitude work, since these natural climbers were considered excellent fitters and were not at all afraid of heights.

This feature has been explained in different ways. Some believed that the Mohawks had a vestibular apparatus developed from birth, because their women constantly carried babies with them, swaddling children in special cradles. Others claimed that during the hunt, the Indians were accustomed to placing their feet on narrow paths one after another, and it was easier for them to hold on to narrow metal structures. Another version said that the Mohawk warriors perceived the height as a challenge and courageously coped with the difficulties that arose in order to achieve victory. In any case, the fact remains that members of this Indian tribe took part in all high-rise construction projects in Canada and the United States and coped with difficult high-altitude work better than other workers.

During the week, the Empire State Building grew by an average of 4.5 floors. Once a record was set: workers built 14.5 floors in just 10 days. In order for the builders not to wander far from their workplaces during lunch breaks, food for them (hot lunches, sandwiches, drinks and ice cream) was served immediately to five levels of the building.

View of New York on the opening day of the Empire State Building (1931)

Unsuccessful attempt airship docking with the spire of the Empire State Building in 1952

In addition, rapid construction became possible due to the simplicity of the design, the components of which were conveniently delivered and lifted up. Pittsburgh became the supplier of steel structures for this skyscraper. And the logistics were so streamlined that often beams were attached to the frame, which the steel plant had produced just three days before.

However, such a large-scale construction, unfortunately, was not without casualties. According to official statistics, five workers died during the construction of the skyscraper. The duration of construction work and the cost of them broke all records. The high-rise building was built in just one year and 45 days - until May 1, 1931. Instead of the planned 43, it cost $24.7 million. Such a low cost was due to the fall in prices during the Great Depression.

On the official opening day of the Empire State Building, President Herbert Hoover solemnly turned on the lights in the new skyscraper and did it right from the White House. And all the architects who participated in the design were awarded various honorary awards.

However, the Great Depression still continued, and it was only by 1948 that the funds spent on the construction of a new skyscraper were returned. All this time important source income was an observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, which was visited annually by up to 3.5 million people. Most of the office space remained empty for a long time, so the townspeople initially called the new skyscraper Empty (empty).

View of the tower from New York street

architectural features

In the early 30s of the last century, the built Empire State Building became not only the tallest building in the world, but also the first skyscraper to have over 100 floors. Its wide base is 60 m by 124.5 m. With free ledges, this 102-story building rises to a height of 381 m. And the spire, framed by ribs in the form of wings, increases it to 443 meters.

The Empire State Building record stood for over 30 years. Only in 1972, when the buildings for the World Trade Center were built in the city, did the high-rise on Fifth Avenue take the second position. But when, after the terrorist attack in September 2001, the twin towers were destroyed, the old skyscraper again received the status of the tallest building in the city.

The Empire State Building is over 250,000 sq. m. On the longitudinally striped facades of the skyscraper, there are 6.4 thousand windows, and the total area of the glazed surface is close to two hectares.

Like many high-rise buildings of that time, the skyscraper was built in the Art Deco style. This eclectic style, which absorbed the features of neoclassicism and modernism, was born in the 20s of the last century. It was very popular all over the world in the 1930s and 1940s and was reflected not only in architecture, but also in painting, fashion, car design, household items and interiors.

On the outside, the Empire State Building's brick walls are clad in Salem limestone, which came from Indiana. It is good for its uniformity and texture resembles the surface of bread. And the recesses in the interfloor spaces were lined with a darker finishing stone. The peculiarity of the finish was that the stone was fixed without additional corners and supports, directly to the steel frame beams. And the joints between stone slabs and windows were skillfully covered with chrome-plated steel strips.

Interior of the Empire State Building

Entrance lobby at the Empire State Building

The entrance lobby of the high-rise building is decorated with rich purple and gray Germanic marble. A large panel mounted here features a bas-relief made of aluminum, where you can see the shining sun and the silhouette of the Empire State Building.

Corridor on the 80th floor

The internal layout was determined more by a fixed budget and short construction time than by any architectural refinements, therefore, in the created premises, the installations created in the project are strictly maintained - no more than 8.53 m from windows to corridors. Such dimensions were necessary to ensure that all offices have the right level of lighting.

In order for employees and visitors to be able to reach any floor of the building, 73 high-speed elevators are installed in it, which can reach the 80th floor within one minute. Those who want to climb to the top floor on foot will have to overcome 1860 steps.

The location of the elevators and the fixed dimensions of the office space determined the entire configuration of the Empire State Building skyscraper and the arrangement of its ledges. Floor sizes decrease with height, and the number of elevators also decreases. Thus, the tallest building in the city turned out to be very functional.

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Observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building

The silhouette of the skyscraper is well recognizable. He became a real "crown" and decoration of New York. The designers of the Empire State Building have created a structure that, like the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, dominates the entire city. From the side of Fifth Avenue, the entrance to the building is "guarded" by sculptures of eagles. This skyscraper is so popular in the USA that numerous souvenirs with its image can be bought everywhere.

On the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building, two large observation decks are specially equipped for tourists. The upper platform is smaller and not full view.

Observation deck on the 102nd floor

The observation deck on the 86th floor is attractive because it has a full 360° panorama. You can climb it on foot, breaking the stairs of more than 1.5 thousand steps, or by elevator. From here you can see the city streets and skyscrapers of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, the green islands of parks and the strait. A good view of the city is from the platform both when the sun is shining and at night. It is convenient that all the sights that can be seen from above are marked on the diagram placed on the observation deck.

In addition, a special tourist attraction has been created on the second floor of the Empire State Building skyscraper, which simulates a flight over the city - the New York Skyride. This simulator is very popular with visitors to New York and especially those traveling with children. For 25 minutes of "flight" you need to pay $ 52. The entrance to the attraction is from 33rd Street and is open from 8.00 to 22.00 all year round.

Views from observation decks

In 1964, during the days of the World's Fair, floodlights were installed on the Empire State Building skyscraper, illuminating its upper part with white light. After 12 years, decorative lighting was made colored. And today, on the days of major holidays and memorable dates, the building is illuminated in different ways: red, orange and yellow on Thanksgiving Day, white and blue on Presidents' Day, green on St. Patrick's Day. On Valentine's Day, the top of the skyscraper turns red, pink and white. And about 50 couples annually perform a wedding ceremony in a high-rise building.

Tickets to the Empire State Building

1. Before visiting the famous high-rise building in New York, you should take care of tickets in advance. The easiest way to buy them is on the official website of the Empire State Building: www.esbnyc.com. Tickets for the observation deck on the 86th floor will cost $32 for adults, $29 for those over 62 years old, and $26 for children from 6 to 12 years old. Tickets for both observation decks (86 and 102 floors) are for everyone visitors over 6 years old cost $85. You will have to pay extra for the opportunity to skip the queues. It is noteworthy that tickets are valid for a year from the date of purchase, and it is not difficult to print them on a printer.

skyscraper red light

You can also purchase a City Pass from travel agencies. This is a tour of New York with the right to visit six of the city's main attractions. In this case, a visit to the Empire State Building is possible at a reduced price.

On the Internet, you can find many companies offering to visit the famous skyscraper. However, they do not sell tickets, but vouchers. And you have to spend time to then exchange these vouchers for real tickets.

Empire State Building Observation Deck

2. No need to take anything extra with you. Luggage storage at the entrance to the Empire State Building is not provided. And security during mandatory checks will not allow bulky bags, suitcases, drinks, water, and even large camera tripods to be brought into the building.

3. It's a good idea to stock up on a few 50 cents ahead of time. They will be needed to use the binoculars located on the observation decks.

Observation deck on the 86th floor

4. The observation deck on the 86th floor is open to all winds, so you should take care of the appropriate clothing and headgear.

5. The skyscraper opens to visitors at 8 am and closes at 2 am. In the mornings, the queue is much smaller. And on holidays and weekends there are so many people that it is better not to plan a visit here.

The remains of a bomber on the facade of a skyscraper

The state of New York is often referred to by Americans as the Imperial State, which is why the tallest skyscraper in the city is called the Imperial State Building.
The Empire State Building is so huge that the country's postal department assigned it its own index - 10118.
55,000 tons of steel, 10 million bricks, 200 thousand cubic meters were spent on the construction of a high-rise building. feet of stone, 2 million feet of electrical wire and 1,170 miles of elevator cables. The marble floor in the Empire State Building covers an area of 30,000 square meters. m. The skyscraper itself weighs about 331,000 tons.
The strength of the Empire State Building skyscraper was tested as a result of tragic events. At the end of July 1945, a B-25 Mitchell military plane crashed into him between the 79th and 80th floors. This happened because in conditions of heavy fog and low visibility, the aircraft commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Smith (Jr.), lost control. The impact was so strong that one of the bomber's engines flew through the entire building. As a result of this tragedy, 14 people died and 26 people received various injuries. However, the building itself suffered little damage. The outer walls were damaged and a fire broke out inside, which was extinguished after only 40 minutes. All the consequences were eliminated very quickly, and the next day the offices were working as usual.
The famous high-rise building "became famous" thanks to the film about King Kong. It was from this skyscraper of the Empire State Building that he fell, shot by police helicopters. Many suicides tried to commit suicide by jumping down from a high-rise building, so now guards are constantly on duty at the observation decks, and a metal canopy was equipped over the sidewalk to protect pedestrians.

King Kong on top of the Empire State Building. Frame from the 1933 film

How to get there

The Empire State Building skyscraper stands in the central part of Manhattan. On the subway lines N, Q, P you need to go to the station "34th Street / Herald Square". If you use ground public transport, you can drive up to the skyscraper by buses M4, M10, M16 and M34.

The most famous skyscraper in New York City is located in Midtown Manhattan at the intersection of - and 34th Street.

The Empire State Building is made in the Art Deco style, has 102 floors, the height of the building including the spire is 443.2 meters. The building takes its name from the old colloquial name for the state of New York (The Empire State). The building was built in 1931 and for 40 years was the tallest building in the world (until the New York builders completed the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972).

The Empire State Building is one of the seven wonders of the world and represents the strength of the American economy and the spirit of the American Nation.

The building was designed by a group of architects led by American architect William Lamb. The construction of the building began in March 1930, with 3,400 workers working on the construction site daily. The work was completed on May 1, 1931, that is, the building was completed in less than 14 months or 410 days.

The initial cost of the Empire State Building was estimated at 43 million dollars (642 million in 2012 prices), however, due to the economic crisis that broke out - the Great Depression, by the beginning of construction and during the year when the building was being erected, engineers were constantly looking for ways to reduce its cost, the final cost of the building by the end of construction was a little more than half of the originally estimated costs - $ 25 million.

During the first year of operation of the Empire State Building, its observation deck brought in an income of $ 2 million to the owners, which was comparable to the funds received from the lease of the building's space.

However, for several years, the owners of the Empire State Building failed to fill the building with tenants by more than 60%, which was explained by the ongoing Great Depression. In this regard, the building was popularly nicknamed the EMPTY State Building (Empty Building). Thus, the building paid off for investors only after 19 years in 1950.

The Empire State Building is the first building in the world to have over 100 floors. The building has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. Today, the building houses more than 1,000 tenant companies, and more than 21,000 office workers visit the building every business day, making it the second commercial building in America after the Pentagon.

Interesting Facts

After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 - (9/11) and the collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in e;

The building is currently owned by over 2,800 investment funds through Empire State Building Associates L.L.C;

Over the years of the existence of the Empire State Building, more than 30 people have committed suicide by jumping from its observation deck located on the 86th floor;

On December 2, 1979, Evita Adams jumped from the observation deck of the building but was thrown by a gust of wind one floor below where she was found with a broken hip;

On July 28, 1945, at 9:40 am, an American pilot in a B-25 bomber, Mitchell, crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors as a result of loss of control. The incident killed 13 office workers and the pilot himself;

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The feeling of being at the foot of the Empire State Building is breathtaking. Most striking is the fact that this giant was erected in 410 calendar days! Crazy .. By the way, during my life in Moscow, for 3 years I worked in one fairly well-known development company, our company was engaged in the construction of one of the high-rises of Moscow City. So, for example, the construction of that skyscraper has been underway since 2003, in the courtyard of 2013 - and the building is a quarter not completed.

The view from the observation deck cannot be described, it is amazing. It is better to visit the building in the evening, when New York is completely immersed in illumination. Long queues of tourists can spoil the impression somewhat, but after entering the observation deck, you will completely forget about it! You can get acquainted with the Empire State Building on one of my individual ones.

There are two observation decks - at the level of the 86th floor and at the level of the 102nd floor. There are so-called "express" tickets (bypassing most of the queues), so by overpaying $22 per person, you can save an hour and a half of your own time. Access to the platform on the 102nd floor is paid separately (+ $17) - here you can definitely save money, the platform on the top is cramped; the view from it is practically indistinguishable from the view from the 86th floor.