Empire State Building - 102-story skyscraper, located in New York on the island of Manhattan. Office building. From 1931 to 1972, before the opening of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, it was one of the tallest buildings in the world. In 2001, when the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, the skyscraper again became the tallest building in New York. The architecture of the building belongs to the Art Deco style.
In 1986, the Empire State Building was listed as a National Historic Landmark in the United States. In 2007, the building was ranked number one on the American Institute of Architects' list of America's Best Architecture. The building is owned and operated by W&H Properties. The tower is located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th streets.
The Empire State Building is currently the second tallest skyscraper in the United States, behind only the Willis Tower in Chicago, and the 15th tallest in the world. The building is currently undergoing a $550 million renovation, $120 million of which is going towards converting the building into a greener, lower energy structure.
The building was built with the money of John Rockefeller Jr. The hall is 30 meters long and 3 floors high, finished with marble and decorated with 8 panels depicting 7 wonders of the world and the eighth is the Empire State Building itself. The Guinness Records Hall contains a unique collection of unusual records. Taking the elevator in a minute, you can get to the observation deck on the 86th or 102nd floor. From here you have a stunning view of the city, especially at night, when the whole city sparkles with neon shop windows and colorful lights. A webcam, thanks to which you will have the opportunity to make a virtual trip to the skyscraper and see Manhattan in great detail, is best used in daylight. Illumination of the building is something that you can talk about endlessly. Each day of the week has its own color, holidays and significant dates have special color combinations. A unique spectacle.
CONSTRUCTION HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IN NEW YORK |
The tower got its name from the everyday name of the US state of New York, which is called the "imperial state". The name of the tower can also be translated as "House of the Imperial State", it was designed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lam and Harmon, and it was built with the money of John D. Rockefeller Jr.
The site where the Empire State Building now stands has been a center of high society since 1860. Then there were two aristocratic houses that belonged to members richest family Astor. John Jacob Astor III and William Backhouse Astor, Jr. built their houses side by side. William Backhouse's wife Astoria, a famous lady, ruled New York society like a queen. Then she quarreled with her nephew William Waldorf Astor. In the course of the quarrel, he demolished his house and built the Waldorf Hotel in its place. William Backhouse's wife Astor moved to another area for this reason. Her son Jacob then broke down his mother's house and built the Astoria Hotel. Both hotels functioned in the 90s years XIX century and were known as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It was the city's most sophisticated hotel until 1929, when it was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building.
Earthwork on the site began on January 22, 1930, and the construction of the tower itself began on March 17 - St. Patrick's Day. The construction site employed 3,400 workers, mostly European immigrants, as well as several hundred Mohawk steelworkers, many of whom came to the site from the Kahnawake reservation near Montreal. According to official figures, five deaths among workers were recorded during construction.
The construction of the building became part of the high altitude race taking place in New York at the time. The other two projects in this race, 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building, were underway when the Empire State Building was just beginning to be built. Each of the competing projects held the title of tallest building for several months, until the Empire State Building surpassed them all. The construction took only 410 days. Approximately four and a half floors were built in a week, and in the most intensive period, 14 floors were erected in 10 days. The official opening took place on May 1, 1931, when US President Herbert Hoover turned on the building's lights by pressing a button in Washington. Already in next year The first use of lighting on top of the building was in celebration of Roosevelt's victory over Hoover in the November 1932 presidential race.
At the opening of the building on May 1, 1931, Governor Smith's children cut the ribbon. When the Empire State Building officially opened on May 1, 1931, the United States of America was in an era of economic depression. Therefore, far from all the premises were handed over, and the building was called the Empty State Building. It took ten years until all the premises were finally commissioned. The building did not generate income for the owners until 1950. Only in 1951, after the sale to Roger Stevens and his partners for $ 51 million (the record price for those times paid for a single structure), the building ceased to be unprofitable.
At the beginning of the operation of the building, its spire was intended to be used as a mooring mast for airships. The 102nd floor was a docking platform with a gangway for climbing onto the airship. A special elevator running between the 86th and 102nd floors could be used to transport passengers. Registration, as planned, was carried out on the 86th floor. However, the idea of an air terminal was deemed untenable due to safety reasons (strong and unstable air currents at the top of the building made docking very difficult, and after the first attempt it became clear that this idea was utopian). Not a single zeppelin ever landed on the building. In 1952, telecommunications equipment was placed on the site of the terminal. Subsequently, the idea was nevertheless virtually implemented in the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
On July 28, 1945, a US Air Force B-25 "Mitchell" bomber, piloted in thick fog by Lieutenant Colonel William Smith, crashed into the north facade of the building between the 79th and 80th floors. One of the engines broke through the tower and fell on a neighboring building, the other fell into the elevator shaft. The fire that arose as a result of the collision was extinguished after 40 minutes. 14 people died in the incident. Elevator Betty Lou Oliver survived a fall in an elevator from a height of 75 floors - this achievement was included in the Guinness Book. Despite this incident, the building was not closed, and work in most offices did not stop the next business day.
Over the entire period of operation of the building, more than 30 suicides were committed here. The first suicide occurred just after the construction was completed by a recently fired worker. In 1947, a fence was erected around the observation site, as in just three weeks there were 5 suicide attempts here. In 1979, Miss Elvita Adams decided to take her own life and jumped from the 86th floor. But a strong wind threw Miss Adams to the 85th floor, and she escaped with only a broken hip. One of the latest suicides occurred on April 13, 2007, when a lawyer who was failing in his professional activities jumped from the 69th floor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ESPIRER STATE BUILDING IN NEW YORK |
ARCHITECTURE. The building has 102 floors, its height is 381.3 meters. Together with the TV tower built in the 1950s, it reaches a total height of 443 meters. Commercial space occupies the first 85 floors of the building (257,211 m²). The remaining 16 floors are an art deco superstructure, with an observation deck on the 102nd floor. The Empire State Building is the first building in the world to have over 100 floors. The tower has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. The building weighs 331,000 tons, is built on a two-story foundation and is supported by a steel structure weighing 54,400 tons. Ten million bricks and 700 kilometers of cable went into it. The total area of the windows is two hectares, and the area of the foundation is more than 8,000 m². The staircase has 1860 steps, where once a year a competition for the fastest climb is held. Office space can accommodate 15,000 people, and elevators can carry 10,000 people in one hour. The tower has about 1,000 offices and 21,000 employees, making the Empire State Building America's second-most-employed building after the Pentagon. The total length of infrastructure pipes reaches 113 km, the length of electrical wires - 760 km. Heating steam low pressure. Limestone slabs were used for decoration.
Since the skyscraper is surrounded by various business buildings, it is not fully visible from below. It is made in a modest but elegant Art Deco style. Unlike most modern skyscrapers, the facade of the tower is made in a classical style. Strips of stainless steel stretch upward along the gray stone façade, and the upper floors are arranged in three ledges. The hall inside has a length of 30 meters and a height of three floors. It is decorated with panels depicting the seven wonders of the world, only an eighth is added to them: the Empire State Building itself. The Guinness Hall of Records contains information about unusual records and record holders.
LIGHTING. In 1964, a floodlight system was installed on the tower in order to illuminate the top in a color scheme corresponding to any events, memorable dates or holidays (St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, etc.). For example, after Frank Sinatra's 80th birthday and the subsequent death of Frank Sinatra, the building was illuminated in blue tones, due to the singer's nickname "Mr. Blue Eyes". Following the death of actress Faye Wray on August 8, 2004, the tower's lights were completely turned off for 15 minutes.
Traditionally, in addition to normal lighting, the building is illuminated in the colors of the New York sports teams on the days that the teams play in the city (orange, blue, and white for the New York Knicks; red, white, and blue for the New York Rangers, etc.). During the US Open tennis tournament, the illumination is dominated by yellow (the color of a tennis ball). In June 2002, during the celebration of the anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the backlight was purple-gold (the colors of the House of Windsor).
VIEWING POINTS . The observation decks of the Empire State Building are one of the most popular tourist destinations in New York City and one of the most visited observation decks in the world. In total, they were visited by more than 110 million people. The platform on the 86th floor has a 360-degree viewing angle. Another observation deck is open on the 102nd floor. It closed in 1999, then reopened in 2005. The upper platform is completely closed, its area is much smaller than the area of the lower platform. because of a large number visitors, the upper platform is closed on the busiest days. Tourists pay for visiting the observation decks at the box office on the 86th floor (there is a separate additional payment for visiting the 102nd floor).
ATTRACTIONS. On the second floor of the building there is an attraction, opened in 1994 for tourists. The attraction is called the New York Skyride and is a simulator of air travel around the city. The duration of the attraction is 25 minutes.
From 1994 to 2002, an old version of the attraction ran in which James Doohan, Scotty of Star Trek, as the plane's pilot, humorously tried to maintain control of the plane during a storm. After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, this attraction was closed. In the new version, the plot remained the same, but the towers of the World Trade Center were removed from the scenery, and Kevin Bacon became the pilot instead of Doohan. The new version pursued primarily not entertaining, but educational and informational goals. It also included patriotic elements.
SPORT. The Empire State Building is not only the tallest building in the city, a landmark of Manhattan and a symbol of American architecture, but also a jogging ground. On February 5, running competitions are held on the stairs of the Empire State Building. Well-trained runners manage to overcome the 1576 steps of the building - from the 1st to the 86th floor - in a few minutes. In 2003, Paul Craik set a record that has not yet been broken - 9 minutes 33 seconds. In addition, competitions are held among firefighters and policemen, who, unlike ordinary runners, must run with full gear.
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IN PHOTOS |
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 boasts the Empire State Building, its 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 Tower Carew and 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.
Almost 3.5 thousand workers from Europe were involved in the process, 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
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, the latest technology 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 building was designed by Shreve, Lam & Harmon Architects. The creators of the skyscraper designed it in the Art Deco style. Unlike most modern skyscrapers, the facade of the tower is made in a classical style. The only decorative element of the gray stone facade is vertical stripes of stainless steel. The hall inside has a length of 30 meters and a height of three floors. It is decorated with panels depicting the seven wonders of the world, and the eighth is added to them - the Empire State Building itself.
The skyscraper was built in a record 410 days, on average 4.5 floors were built per week, and sometimes in 10 days a new building grew by 14 floors. 5662 cubic meters of limestone and granite were used for the construction of the outer walls. In total, the builders used 60 thousand tons of steel structures, 10 million bricks and 700 km of cable. The building has 6500 windows. Its design is such that the main load is borne by the steel frame, and not by the walls. He transfers this load directly to the most powerful "two-story" foundation. Thanks to the innovation, the weight of the building has significantly decreased and amounted to 365 thousand tons.
By the time construction was completed, the height of the building was 381 m (after a television tower was erected on the roof of the Empire State Building in 1952, its height reached 443 m).
On May 1, 1931, the official opening of the skyscraper took place. The then President of the country, Herbert Hoover, opened the Empire State Building: by flicking a switch from Washington, he lit the lights of the highest man-made structure in the world at that time.
The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world for over 40 years. The skyscraper lost this title only after the construction in 1972 of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The tragic death of the twin towers during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack returned the status of the tallest building in New York to the Empire State Building, although the skyscraper could no longer claim world leadership.
The Empire State Building occupies about one hectare of land on Manhattan Island, at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 34th Street. The building houses offices of 640 companies employing about 50,000 people.
The skyscraper is a landmark of Manhattan and New York. The famous skyscraper is visited by thousands of tourists every day. On a high-speed elevator in one minute they can go up to the observation deck located on the 86th floor and see the panorama of New York: its streets, squares, parks, bridges and even ships at sea. On the 102nd floor is a glazed circular observatory. From a height of 381 m, a panorama of five states opens up.
The landmark of New York is not only the skyscraper itself, but also its unique lighting system. The tradition of lighting the Empire State Building with different colors on various holidays has been around for a long time. So, on Independence Day of the United States, the skyscraper becomes blue-red-white, and on St. Patrick's Day - green, on Columbus Day - green-white-red. To do this, plastic disks are changed on 200 spotlights illuminating the 30 upper floors.
Even before the TV and radio tower was placed on the roof of the skyscraper, it was planned that the upper part of the Empire State Building would serve not only for festive illumination of the city. The architects designed the roof structure in such a way that it served as a pier for passenger airships, which in the 30s. of the last century, they were a fashionable vehicle and successfully competed with the not yet very reliable passenger aircraft. The 102nd floor was a docking platform with a gangway for climbing onto the airship. A special elevator running between the 86th and 102nd floors could be used to transport passengers, whose check-in was to be made on the 86th floor. In reality, not a single airship on the roof of the Empire State Building has ever docked. The idea of an air terminal turned out to be unsafe - the strong and unstable air currents at the top of the 381-meter building made berthing very difficult. And soon the airships, in principle, ceased to be used as a vehicle.
On the second floor of the building there is an attraction, opened in 1994 for tourists. The attraction is called the New York Skyride and is a simulator of air travel over the city. The duration of the attraction is 25 minutes. From 1994 to 2001, the old version of the attraction operated, in which actor James Doohan, Scotty from the series " Star Trek”, as an airplane pilot, humorously tried to maintain control of the plane during a storm. After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, this attraction was closed. In the new version, the plot remained the same, but the towers of the World Trade Center were removed from the scenery, and actor Kevin Bacon became the pilot instead of Doohan. The new version pursued, first of all, not entertaining, but educational and informational goals. It also included patriotic elements.
In terms of the number of films in which the Empire State Building was shot, the building can compete with leading movie stars. It all started with "King Kong" filmed in 1933, where the final battle of a huge gorilla with US Air Force fighters took place on the roof of this skyscraper. Now the list of films in which the Empire State Building appears, given on the official website of the skyscraper, has 91 films.
Among other things, the Empire State Building is also the venue for one of the most unusual competitions. It hosts a skyscraper stair running competition in early February every year. Athletes overcome 1576 steps of the building - from the 1st to the 86th floor - in a few minutes. In 2003, Paul Craik set a record that has not yet been broken - 9 minutes 33 seconds.
For almost 80 years Empire history The State Building has experienced a significant number of different incidents. On July 28, 1945, a US Air Force B-25 Mitchell bomber, lost in dense fog, crashed into a building between the 79th and 80th floors. One of the engines broke through the skyscraper and fell on the roof of a neighboring building, the other fell into the elevator shaft. The fire that resulted from the collision was extinguished after 40 minutes. 14 people died in the incident. Elevator Betty Lou Oliver survived a fall in an elevator from a height of 75 floors - this achievement hit the Guinness Book of Records.
There were fires after that. So, in August 1988, a fire started on the 86th floor, and the fire reached the very top of the skyscraper. Luckily, there were no casualties then. In 1990, a fire broke out again, which claimed the lives of 38 people.
There were also incidents of a different kind. In February 1997, 69-year-old Palestinian Ali Hassan Abu Kamal went up to the observation deck, pulled out a pistol and opened fire on tourists. He killed one person, wounded six, and then shot himself. When the site reopened two days later, visitors were already being probed with magnetometers.
Since its construction, the Empire State Building has attracted those who want to commit suicide. During the entire period of operation of the building, more than 30 suicides were committed here. The first suicide occurred just after the construction was completed by a recently fired worker. As a result, in 1947, a fence had to be erected around the observation site, since in just three weeks there were five suicide attempts here. At the same time, funny things happened: in 1979, Miss Elvita Adams decided to take her own life and jumped from the 86th floor. But a strong wind threw her to the 85th floor, and she escaped with only a broken hip.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers, known not only in but throughout the world. It is on a par with such famous buildings as the pyramid of Cheops and. This building was and remains a symbol of the brilliant New York. Forty years ago, the Empire State was the tallest building in the world, but it still impresses with its size. On the wall of a huge marble-decorated hall, the Empire State Building skyscraper is presented as the eighth wonder of the world.
Features Empire State Building
The 102-story Empire State Building is located on Fifth Avenue. It was built in 1931 and is the most tall skyscraper New York.
Despite its large size, the skyscraper looks quite elegant: the proportions of the Empire State Building are simple and refined. The upper floors are built somewhat deeper in relation to the general line of the facade. The building was built in a modest but elegant Art Deco style. Strips of stainless steel stretch upward along the gray stone façade, and the upper floors are arranged in three ledges.
Standing on the sidewalk in front of a 102-story skyscraper, it is very difficult to see the whole building as a whole - it is so big. The dimensions of the building are really amazing: the height without the tower is 381 meters, and together with the television tower built in the 50s, it reaches a total height of 449 meters. The weight of the structure is 331 thousand tons.
Of course, it is best to move around the floors with the help of elevators, but there are eccentrics who prefer to climb the stairs to the very last floor, which has 1,860 steps. Once a year there is a competition for the fastest climb. The winner receives one million dollars.
The rest still prefer to use elevators. Office space can accommodate 15,000 people, and elevators can carry 10,000 passengers in one hour.
The Empire State is not only the center of offices, but also a real entertainment for tourists. Inside the hall, which is 30 meters long and three stories high, there is a huge panel with images of eight, one of which is the Empire State Building itself. The Guinness Hall of Records contains information about unusual records and record holders. There are observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors, which can be reached very quickly by elevator. From here you have an amazing view of the city.
History of the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, New York. This part of Manhattan is still considered very prestigious. Skyscrapers, which are enough here, only further emphasize the respectability of this area.
New York and Chicago were the first cities where the construction of high-rise buildings began. There were many reasons for this. Firstly, technical innovations have already been actively applied - lightweight building reinforcement, high-speed elevators, strip foundations, etc. Secondly, with late XIX century, the price of land was quite high, so the construction of multi-storey buildings turned out to be economically viable. But, despite the lower price, office space in a skyscraper was and still is very prestigious. Now, to rent an office in a skyscraper, you have to pay much more than for similar apartments in an ordinary building.
The modern Empire State Building was built on the site where, since 1860, there was a center for the local aristocracy. Then there were two noble houses that belonged to members of the wealthy Astor family. Subsequently, the Waldorf and Astoria hotels were built here. These two hotels functioned in the 90s of the XIX century. Both hotels were demolished in 1929 to clear the site for the Empire State Building.
The building was erected on a two-story foundation (to make the skyscraper more stable) and supported by a steel structure weighing 54,400 tons. Ten million bricks and 700 kilometers of cable were spent on the construction. Construction was led by John Jacob Raskob (founder of General Motors). The project was completed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lam & Harmon.
The building was built simply with unheard of speed. A little more than a year and a half, 38 teams of builders (5 people each) assembled the frame of a skyscraper from a huge number of metal beams, which were delivered to the construction site along a specially built road. The construction was very difficult and risky: every day the workers had to balance on the narrow beams of this frame.
The skyscraper grew literally before our eyes. Approximately four and a half floors were built every week, and in the most intensive period, 14 floors were erected in 10 days. The entire building was built in 1 year and 45 days.
On May 1, 1931, the official opening of the Empire State Building took place, which received the status of the tallest building on our planet, overtaking the previous record holder - the headquarters of the Chrysler automobile corporation.
The opening of the skyscraper coincided with the great economic depression. Not many could afford to rent an office in this building. Then the building was even nicknamed the "Empty State Building" (Empty State Building). It took ten years until all the premises were finally commissioned.
At first, the creators of the skyscraper planned to build a flat roof in order to arrange a platform for airships here. But later this idea was abandoned: the site was an expensive pleasure, and the airships came out and fashion. In 1950, it was decided to build on the skyscraper: a small TV tower was installed on the roof, 447 meters high.
The name of the Empire State Building skyscraper comes from the words "building", which in English means "building" or "structure". "Empire State" (translated from English as "empire state") is the unofficial name of the state of New York.
The skyscraper quickly gained notoriety as it turned out to be very attractive for suicides. The first suicide occurred in 1933, only 3 years after the discovery. In the same year, the film "King Kong" was released, and the image of this building was firmly connected in the minds of millions of viewers with a huge monster climbing the walls of a skyscraper. To top it all off, in 1945, due to poor visibility, a plane crashed into the 79th floor. 14 people were killed, and the damage amounted to one million dollars. Then they began to say that the Empire State Building skyscraper was almost a diabolical invention. True, successful businessmen called all this nonsense and continued to fight for the right to rent an office in the most respectable building in Manhattan.
In 1986, the Empire State Building was given National Landmark status. More than 35,000 tourists visit it every year, not counting the fact that more than 50,000 people work in the building itself.
For more than a decade, the Empire State Building has been considered a symbol of New York and the entire American state.