EntranceHeight of the Empire State Building with antenna. Empire State Building in New York
The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in New York on the island of Manhattan. From 1931 to 1972, before the opening of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, it was the tallest building in the world. In 2001, when the World Trade Center towers 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 included in the list of US National Historic Landmarks. In 2007, the building was number one on the list of the best American architectural designs according to the American Institute of Architects. The owner and manager of the building is W&H Properties. The tower is located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets.
At the end of the 18th century, on the site where the ESB is now located, there was a farm of John Thompson. At that time there was a stream that flowed into Sunfish Pond, which is now located a block from the skyscraper. At the end of the 19th century, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was located here, where New York's social elite lived.
The ESB was designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, which completed the skyscraper's plans in just two weeks, using its previous work, the Carew Tower in Cincinnati, as a basis. Ohio. The building was designed from top to bottom. The main contractors were the Starrett Brothers and Eken, and the project was financed by John J. Raskob.
Construction was supervised by Alfred E. Smith, a former New York City superintendent.
Preparations for construction began on January 22, 1930, and construction of the skyscraper itself, thanks to the influence of Alfred Smith as president of Empire State, Inc., began on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. The project employed 3,400 workers, mostly European immigrants, as well as hundreds of Mohawk Indian foundry workers, primarily from the Kahnawake Reservation, near Montreal.
However, initially no one could have thought that Empire State The building will become such a famous skyscraper. Thus, architectural historian Carol Willis notes in one of her books that the main task during the construction of a skyscraper was to meet the specified amount, therefore appearance buildings received the least attention.
This construction was part of an intense competition for the title of tallest building in the world. The other two buildings vying for the title, 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building, were still under construction when work began on the ESB. Each of them held the title for less than a year; the Empire State Building beat them in this competition just 410 days after construction began. The official opening of the ESB, held on May 1, 1931, was very pompous: President Herbert Hoover turned on the lights in the building by pressing a button in Washington. Ironically, the lamps on top of the skyscraper were first used to commemorate Franklin Roosevelt's victory over Hoover in the November 1932 presidential election.
Let's, with the help of bloggers, take a closer look at how such skyscrapers were built at that time.
The main part of the material belongs rudzin
, owner of a most interesting diary
"Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper" - photograph from the series "Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam - 1932" by photographer Charles C. Ebbets
Such a miracle as a skyscraper would not have become possible without the invention of the steel frame. Assembling the steel frame of a building is the most dangerous and difficult part of construction. It is the quality and speed of frame assembly that determines whether the project will be implemented on time and within budget.
That is why riveters are the most important profession in the construction of a skyscraper.
Riveters are a caste with their own laws: a riveter’s salary per working day is $15, more than any skilled worker on a construction site; they do not go to work in rain, wind or fog, they are not on the contractor’s staff. They are not alone, they work in teams of four people, and if one of the team does not go to work, no one does. Why, in the midst of the Great Depression, does everyone turn a blind eye to this, from the investor to the foreman?
On a platform made of planks, or simply on steel beams, there is a coal stove. The rivets in the furnace are 10cm long and 3cm in diameter steel cylinders. The “cook” “cooks” the rivets - using small bellows he blows air into the oven to heat them to the required temperature. The rivet has warmed up (not too much - it will turn in the hole and you will have to drill it out; and not too weakly - it will not rivet), now you need to transfer the rivet to where it will fasten the beams. Which beam will be attached when is only known in advance, and it is impossible to move a hot stove during the working day. Therefore, the attachment point is often located 30 (thirty) meters from the “cook”, sometimes higher, sometimes 2-3 floors lower.
The only way to transfer a rivet is to throw it.
The “cook” turns to the “goalkeeper” and silently, making sure that the goalkeeper is ready to receive, throws a red-hot 600-gram blank in his direction with tongs. Sometimes there are already welded beams on the trajectory; you need to throw them once, accurately and strongly.
The “goalkeeper” stands on a narrow platform or simply on a bare beam next to the riveting area. His goal is to catch a flying piece of iron with an ordinary tin can. He cannot move without falling. But he must catch the rivet, otherwise it will fall on the city like a small bomb.
“Shooter” and “pointer” are waiting. The “goalkeeper”, having caught the rivet, drives it into the hole. A “stop” on the outside of the building, hanging over the abyss, holds the rivet head with a steel rod and its own weight. The “shooter” uses a 15-kilogram pneumatic hammer to rivet it from the other side within a minute.
The best team performs this trick over 500 times a day, the average - about 250.
The photographs show the best brigade in 1930, from left to right: “cook”, “goalkeeper”, “stopper”, and shooter.”
The danger of this work can be illustrated by the following fact: masons at a construction site are insured at a rate of 6% of their salary, carpenters - 4%. The riveter's rate is 25-30%.
One person died on the Chrysler building.
Four people died on Wall Street 40.
There are five in the Empire State.
The frame of the skyscraper consists of hundreds of steel profiles several meters long and weighing several tons, the so-called beams. There is nowhere to store them during the construction of a skyscraper - no one will allow organizing a warehouse in the city center, in a densely built environment, on municipal land. Moreover, all structural elements are different, each can be used in one single place, so an attempt to organize even a temporary warehouse, for example, on one of the last completed floors can lead to great confusion and delays in construction.
That is why, when I wrote that the work of riveters is the most important and most difficult, I did not mention that it is also the most dangerous and difficult. The work is harder and more dangerous than theirs - the work of the crane crew.
The order for beams was agreed upon with the metallurgists several weeks ago; trucks deliver them to the construction site minute by minute; regardless of the weather, they must be unloaded immediately.
The derrick crane is a hinged boom, located on the last built floor, the installers are on the floor above. The winch operator can be located on any floor of an already constructed building, because no one is going to stop the lift and distract other cranes to lift the heavy mechanism several floors higher for the convenience of the installers. Therefore, when lifting a multi-ton channel, the operator does not see either the beam itself, or the machine that brought it, or his comrades.
The only reference point for control is the strike of the bell, given by the apprentice at the signal of the foreman, who is located, along with the entire brigade, dozens of floors above. A blow turns on the winch motor, a blow turns it off. Several teams of riveters are working nearby with their hammers (have you ever heard the noise of a jackhammer?), other crane operators are lifting other channels at the commands of their bells. You can’t make a mistake and not hear the impact - the channel will either ram the crane boom, or throw the installers who are preparing to secure it off the installed vertical beam.
The foreman, controlling the derrick through two operators, one of whom he does not see, ensures that the holes for riveting on the installed vertical beams coincide with the holes on the raised channel with an accuracy of 2-3 millimeters. Only then can a pair of installers secure the swaying, often wet channel with huge bolts and nuts.
In New York on 6th Avenue there are monuments to these guys, erected in 2001. The model was the most famous photo, she is the first in the preview here. So, at first they made the monument exactly like in the photo, i.e. 11 dudes are sitting on a beam. And then the one on the far right was removed to the root. And only because he has a bottle of whiskey in his hands!!! I understand if they did this here during Gorbachev’s time, but they did it in 2001!! Apparently they didn’t want to destroy the legend about the brave guys. Now these are 10 quite decent guys sitting on a steel beam. Fine. But it's kind of a shame.
Photography by Samuel H. Gottscho, 1932
In New York on 6th Avenue there are monuments to these guys, erected in 2001. The model was the most famous photo, she is the first in the preview here. So, at first they made the monument exactly like in the photo, i.e. 11 dudes are sitting on a beam. And then the one on the far right was removed to the root. And only because he has a bottle of whiskey in his hands!!! I understand if they had done this here during Gorbachev’s time, but they did it in 2001!! Apparently they didn’t want to destroy the legend about the brave guys. Now these are 10 quite decent guys sitting on a steel beam. Fine. But it's kind of a shame.
The opening of the ESB coincided with the Great Depression in the United States, so at first most of the office space was empty. In the first year of operation, the construction of the observation deck cost the owners of the building approximately $2 million, and they received the same amount for renting out the premises. Due to the lack of tenants, New Yorkers began to call the skyscraper the “Empty State Building.” The building did not become profitable until 1950. In 1951, ESB was sold to Roger L. Stevens and his partners for a record $51 million, brokered by the well-known upper Manhattan real estate firm Charles F. Noyes & Company. Then it was the most high price for one building in the history of real estate.
The skyscraper's Art Deco spire was originally designed as a mooring mast and anchorage for airships. The one hundred and second floor was first a landing platform, with a special ladder located on it. A separate elevator between the 86th and 102nd floors would take passengers upstairs after they checked in at the observation deck on the 86th floor. However, after several attempts to bring the airship to the skyscraper, it turned out that this was difficult and dangerous due to the strong upward air currents arising from the enormous height of the building. In 1952, a large television tower was attached to the skyscraper's spire.
Over the years of its existence, the Empire State Building has proven itself to be an extremely durable structure. So on July 28, 1945, a B-25 bomber literally crashed into a skyscraper. Several people died, and dozens were injured of varying degrees of severity. The bomber's engine flew through the entire building, but the damage to the skyscraper was limited to the destruction of the outer walls and fire in some rooms.
On July 28, 1945, a USAF B-25 Mitchell bomber, piloted in thick fog by Lt. Col. William Smith, crashed into the north façade of the building between the 79th and 80th floors. One of the engines pierced the tower and fell onto a neighboring building, the other fell into the elevator shaft. The fire that arose as a result of the collision was extinguished within 40 minutes. 14 people died in the incident, and elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived after falling in an elevator from a height of 75 floors - this achievement was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Despite the incident, the building was not closed, and work in most offices did not stop the next working day.
damage to the Empire State Building after a collision with an airplane
During the entire operation of the building, more than 30 suicides were committed here. The first suicide occurred immediately after construction was completed by a recently laid off worker. In 1947, a fence was erected around the observation deck, as there were 5 suicide attempts there in just three weeks. In 1979, Miss Elvita Adams decided to take her own life and jumped from the 86th floor. But strong wind threw Miss Adams onto the 85th floor, and she escaped with only a broken hip. One of the last suicides occurred on April 13, 2007, when a lawyer jumped from the 69th floor.
Clickable, panorama
ESB rises 1,250 feet (381m) above the street at the 102nd floor, and if you count the 203-foot (62m) spire, the skyscraper's total height is 1,453 feet, eight inches (443m). The building has 85 floors of retail and office space (2,158,000 square feet/200,000 m2) and an indoor/outdoor observation deck on the 86th floor. the remaining 16 floors are an Art Deco tower, ending in an observatory on the 102nd floor. At the top of the tower is a 203-foot-tall spire, much of which is covered in television antennas, with a light rod at the very top.
The Empire State Building was the first building to have more than one hundred floors. It has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators, and 1,860 steps lead from the street to the 102nd floor. The total area of all floors is approximately 2,768,591 square feet (257,000 m2); The ESB base is approximately 2 acres (0.8 ha). The building houses more than a thousand organizations, and it also has its own zip code - 10118. As of 2007, approximately 21,000 employees work in the building every day, making the ESB the second largest office complex in the United States, after the Pentagon. Construction of the skyscraper lasted one year and 45 days. It originally had 64 elevators located centrally; on this moment, the ESB has 73 elevators, including service ones. The elevator rises to the 86th floor, where the observation deck is located, in less than a minute. The total length of the skyscraper's pipes is 70 miles (113 km), the length of electrical wires is 2,500,000 feet (760,000 m). The skyscraper is heated with low pressure steam; Despite its enormous height, the building only requires steam pressure of two or three pounds per square inch (0.14 to 0.21 kg per cm2) to heat the building. The skyscraper weighs approximately 336,000 tons.
In 1964, a floodlighting system was installed on the tower in order to illuminate the top in colors corresponding to any events, memorable dates or holidays (St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, etc.). For example, after the eightieth anniversary and 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 Fay Wray in late 2004, the tower's lights were turned off completely for 15 minutes.
The cost of constructing the ESB was $40,948,900. Unlike most modern tall buildings, the Empire State Building has a classic facade. Entrances from 33rd and 34th Streets, covered by modernist steel canopies, lead into two-story high corridors crossed by steel or glass walkways at the second floor level, surrounding the elevators. There are 67 elevators in the central part of the building.
The lobby is three stories high and uses the building's aluminum components in place of the antenna, which was not present on the spire until 1952. In the northern corridor are eight illuminated panels created by Roy Sparkia and Renee Nemorov in 1963, making the building an eighth wonder of the world, joining the traditional seven.
During the finishing of the building, long-term projections were made about its functioning to ensure that the use of the building now would not interfere with its service to future generations. This explains the redesign of the power supply system.
Traditionally, in addition to regular lighting, the building is illuminated in the colors of New York sports teams on days when those teams are playing in the city (orange, blue and white for the New York Knicks, red, white and blue for the New York Rangers and etc.). During the US Open tennis tournament, yellow (the color of the tennis ball) dominates the lighting. In June 2002, during the celebration of the jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the illumination was purple and gold (the colors of the House of Windsor).
Very often this building is the hero of feature films. Take King Kong for example.
In 1964, floodlights were installed on top to illuminate the building at night, with colors chosen to match the seasons and other events such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas. Following the skyscraper's eighteenth birthday and the subsequent death of Frank Sinatra, for example, the building was illuminated in blue, hinting at the singer's nickname, "Ol' Blue Eyes." After the death of actress Fay Wray (King Kong) at the end of 2004, the skyscraper stood in complete darkness for 15 minutes.
Floodlights illuminated the ESB in red, white, and blue for several months after the destruction of the World Trade Center, after which it returned to its usual routine. Traditionally, in addition to the regular schedule, the skyscraper is illuminated with the colors of New York sports teams on home game days (orange, blue and white for the New York Knicks; red, white and blue for the New York Rangers Rangers), etc.). The building is illuminated with the yellow color of a tennis ball during the US Open in late August or early September. The skyscraper was even lit up bright scarlet twice for Rutgers University, the first time during football match November 9, 2006 against the University of Louisville for the biggest win in university history, and again on April 3, 2007 when the women's basketball team played Tennessee for the national championship.
In June 2002, during the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, New York lit up the ESB in red and gold (the colors of the monarchs of the Royal House of Windsor). New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it was a sign of gratitude to Her Majesty for playing the United States national anthem at Buckingham Palace after September 11, 2001.
In 1995, the skyscraper was lit up in blue, red, green and yellow to celebrate its launch operating system Microsoft Windows 95 (Microsoft's Windows 95). It was a breakthrough for home computing, and the launch was met with fanfare.
The building was also painted purple and white to celebrate the graduation of New York University students.
When the New York Mets beat the New York Yankees in the Subway Series in May 2007, the following night the building was lit up in the winning colors, orange and blue.
In October 2007, the skyscraper was painted in three days green color in honor of the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr. Such lighting, first used in honor of a Muslim holiday, is planned to be used every year.
On April 25-27, 2008, the skyscraper was painted “lavender” in honor of the release of Mariah Carey’s new album “E=MC2.
The Empire State Building is home to one of the most popular outdoor observatories in the world, visited by more than 110 million people. The observation deck on the 86th floor provides an impressive 360-degree view of the city. There is another observation deck open to the public on the 102nd floor. It closed in 1999 but reopened in November 2005. It is completely glazed and much smaller than the first; on days when there is an influx of visitors, it is sometimes closed.
NY - main center United States media. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, nearly all of the city's commercial broadcast stations (both radio and television) have been broadcast from the top of the ESB, although some FM radio stations are located in the nearby Conde Nast Building. Most New York AM stations are broadcast from New Jersey.
Communication facilities for broadcast stations are at the top of the ESB. Broadcasting from the building began on December 22, 1931, when Broadcasting began at Empire on December 22, 1931, when the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) began broadcasting experimental television broadcasts through a small antenna mounted on a spire. They rented the 85th floor and built a laboratory there, and in 1934 RCA was merged into a shady venture by Edwin Howard Armstrong to test his FM system using a skyscraper antenna. When Armstrong and RCA left the building in 1935 and its FM equipment was removed, the 85th floor became the site of RCA's television studios, first as the experimental W2XBS channel 1, which became the commercial station WNBT, channel 1 (now WNBC-TV) on July 1, 1941 channel 4). The National Broadcasting Company station (WEAF-FM, now WQHT) began broadcasting via antenna in 1940.
NBC continued to have sole use of the top of the Empire State Building until 1950, when the FCC changed the arrangement based on viewer requests to move the seven main channels to the NBC so that they would not have to constantly adjust the antennas. Construction has begun on a huge television tower. Other television companies then joined RCA on the 83rd, 82nd and 81st floors, some bringing their sister radio stations with them. Massive TV and FM broadcasts began in 1951. In 1965, separate FM antennas were installed around the viewing area on the 102nd floor.
When the World Trade Center was built, it caused major problems for television stations, most of which moved into the World Trade Center immediately after its completion. This allowed the antenna to be upgraded and the broadcast quality of the FM radio stations remaining in the ESB to be improved, which were soon joined by other FM radio stations and television stations that had moved from all other locations in the city center. The destruction of the World Trade Center necessitated changes to broadcast frequencies and redevelopment of studios to accommodate stations that were forced to return.
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Empire State Building (ESB) – main symbol New York, US National Historic Landmark and best American architectural achievement of all time.
The skyscraper received its name in honor of the American state of New York, which is often called the “Empire State”.
According to legend, when Henry Hudson sailed down the Hudson River, he was so struck by the beauty and grandeur of the area that he exclaimed: “This is a new empire!”
Empire State Building - 103-story office building located on Manhattan Island in New York, USA. The entrance to the building is located on Fifth Avenue - between West 33rd and 34th streets.
Location on Google maps, the map itself can be enlarged:
Translation into Russian
WITH in English"The Empire State Building" can be translated into Russian as " Imperial State Building"or "House of the Imperial State".
History of the skyscraper: design and construction
Looking into history, we learn that The building was designed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon., whose chief architect was William F. Lamb.
The design used early designs for the Reynolds Building in North Carolina and the Carew Tower in Ohio.
Tower construction started on St. Patrick's Day - March 17, 1930, and ended 1 year and 45 days later In total, the construction of the skyscraper required more than 7 million man-hours.
Above the building construction 3400 workers worked: most of them are emigrants from Europe, as well as several hundred installers who come from the Tomahawk Indian tribe, distinctive feature who had no fear of heights.
At the time of the start of construction of the ESB, the future symbols of New York - the Trump Building and the Chrysler Building - laid claim to the title of the tallest skyscraper in the shortest possible time and were already in the process of construction.
A serious struggle broke out between them, as a result of which the ESB overtook everyone: the building grew four and a half floors a week, the record is fourteen floors in ten days.
So, after 410 days, 5662 m 3 of building materials, 60 thousand tons of steel structures, 10 million bricks and 700 km of cable, The tallest building in the world at that time appeared on the Manhattan skyline.
Opening of the Empire State Building
Solemn The opening of the building took place on May 1, 1931: The state governor cut the ribbon and President Herbert Hoover lit the tower's floodlights using a switch in Washington.
For your information! At that time, the Great Depression was in full swing in the United States, and not everyone could afford to rent space in a skyscraper, and therefore the building for a long time empty: offices occupied approximately 20% of the total area. The tower was completely rented out only after a whole decade.
Height and other technical characteristics of the building
At the time of the official opening of the skyscraper its height was 381 m, and after the construction of a television tower on the roof of a skyscraper in 1952, height reached 443.2 m. After which the top of the tower began to be used for the location of equipment.
How many floors?
The building has 103 floors: commercial premises occupy the first 85 floors buildings, their total area is more than 257 thousand m².
The remaining 16 floors are a superstructure in the Art Deco style, which is a combination of modernism and neoclassicism.
There are observation platforms on the 86th and 102nd floors of the skyscraper.
The width of the tower at the base is about 140 m: the building occupies about one hectare of land. In total, the building has 6,500 windows, 1,860 steps and 73 elevators, which are capable of transporting up to 10 thousand people per hour.
Observation platforms
Main observation deck
The highest observation deck operates on the 86th floor of the skyscraper under open air in NYC. Dozens of movie scenes were filmed here and millions of unforgettable moments were experienced.
For reference! The site is located around the spire of the building, presenting visitors with a panorama of New York and its environs. It offers breathtaking views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and much more.
You can also use observation binoculars with multiple magnification and view objects in great detail.
Upper observation deck
Sixteen floors higher - on the 102nd floor of the building - there is another observation deck, significantly smaller in area than the main one, and also completely closed.
Lighting
The tradition of ceremonial lighting of the tower in different colors in honor of major events, holidays and celebrations are preserved for many decades.
Previously, the top 30 floors were illuminated by 200 floodlights: on Independence Day, the building turned white, red and blue, and on St. Patrick's Day, green.
For achievement this effect The filters on the spotlights were changed manually: the process took several hours.
In 2012, dramatic changes took place in the tower's illumination system: A dynamic LED lighting system was installed. If previously the change in architectural lighting occurred within 10 colors, today New Yorkers see a palette of 16 million shades.
The new illumination system allows you to control the light remotely, adjust its direction and create various effects.
No holiday in New York is complete without a light show on the tower, which is often synchronized with the musical accompaniment.
Interior: what's inside?
Building interior – one of the few recognized as a landmark Committee for the Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of New York. In 2009, 18 months were spent restoring the aesthetics of the original 1930 interior design (recall that the entire building took only 13 months to construct).
Inside there is a thirty-meter-high hall that stretches over three floors. It is decorated with panels of the Seven Wonders of the World, and on the wall above the reception desk in the lobby is one of the most famous in New York - an image of the building itself, emitting light.
Useful information for tourists
The skyscraper is open all year round from 8 am to 2 am, and a huge number of people visit it every day.
The least number of visitors occurs at 8 am and 3 pm, as well as late in the evening.
To avoid wasting time in line in front of the cash register, you can purchase a ticket on the official website. This ticket is valid for a year, meaning you can schedule a visit at any convenient time. However, you still have to stand in line (security check, elevator). Only visitors with VIP tickets can skip these lines.
Prices. The cost of visiting the open observation deck on the 86th floor is from $37 for an adult and from $31 for a child. VIP tickets are $65 for everyone. A visit to the upper observation deck on the 102nd floor is paid separately (plus $20 for all ticket categories).
The New York Pass allows you to visit more than 90 Big Apple attractions, including the Empire State Building, with a single ticket.
The cost of such a ticket depends on its validity period - from one to ten days: from $124 to $420 for an adult and from $94 to $279 for a child.
Exhibition "Sustainability"
On the second floor of the skyscraper there is an exhibition “Sustainability”. The building is currently being renovated: about $120 million is being spent to reduce energy consumption.
The Sustainability exhibition showcases the latest technologies and processes and tells the story of the building's renovation through digital displays, sculptures and real building materials.
Exhibition "Don't be afraid to dream"
On the 80th floor there is an exhibition “Dare to Dream”. The History of the Empire State Building - The Story of the American Dream: The exhibition chronicles the history, design and construction of the building. It includes original documents: photographs, architectural sketches, construction notes and daily accounting documents.
Get more detailed information about the building, its place and role in modern world thanks to the interactive multimedia tour, which is included in the ticket price. To do this, you need to download the corresponding application from the AppStore or Google Play, which can be done on site using the free wireless Internet.
In addition, in our VKontakte group you can find more photos in good quality, in a separate album dedicated to the skyscraper.
The building was designed by the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. 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 strips of stainless steel. The hall inside is 30 meters long and three floors high. It is decorated with panels depicting the seven wonders of the world, and an 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 the new building grew by 14 floors. 5,662 cubic meters of limestone and granite were used for the construction of the external walls. In total, the builders used 60 thousand tons of steel structures, 10 million bricks and 700 km of cable. The building has 6,500 windows. Its design is such that the main load is borne by the steel frame, not the walls. It transfers this load directly to the powerful “two-story” foundation. Thanks to the innovation, the weight of the building was significantly reduced and amounted to 365 thousand tons.
By the time construction was completed, the height of the building was 381 m (after the 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 Empire State Building was opened by the then president of the country, Herbert Hoover: with the flick of a switch from Washington, he lit the lights of the tallest man-made structure in the world at that time.
The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world for more than 40 years. The skyscraper lost this title only after the construction of the “twin” towers of the World Trade Center in 1972. The tragic death of the “twin” towers during the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, returned the Empire State Building to the status of the tallest building in New York, although the skyscraper could no longer lay claim to world leadership.
The Empire State Building occupies about one hectare of land on the island of Manhattan, at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 34th Street. The building houses the offices of 640 companies employing about 50 thousand people.
The skyscraper is a landmark of Manhattan and New York. Thousands of tourists visit the famous skyscraper every day. In one minute, using a high-speed elevator, 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 there is a glass-enclosed circular observatory. From a height of 381 m, a panorama of five states opens up.
A landmark of New York is considered not only the skyscraper itself, but also its unique lighting system. The tradition of lighting up the Empire State Building in different colors on various holidays has existed for a long time. So, on US Independence Day, the skyscraper turns 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 floodlights illuminating the 30 upper floors.
Even before a television 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 the festive lighting of the city. The architects designed the roof structure in such a way that it would serve as a pier for passenger airships, which in the 30s. of the last century were a fashionable vehicle and successfully competed with passenger aircraft that were not yet very reliable. The 102nd floor was a berthing platform with a gangway for boarding the airship. A special elevator running between the 86th and 102nd floors could be used to transport passengers whose check-in had to be done on the 86th floor. In reality, not a single airship has ever docked on top of the Empire State Building. The idea of an air terminal turned out to be unsafe - strong and unstable air currents at the top of the 381-meter building made docking very difficult. And soon airships basically ceased to be used as a means of transport.
On the second floor of the building there is an attraction, opened in 1994 for tourists. The attraction is called 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, an older version of the attraction operated, featuring actor James Doohan, Scotty from Star Trek, as an airplane pilot, humorously trying to maintain control of the plane during a storm. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this attraction was closed. In the new version, the plot remained the same, but the World Trade Center towers were removed from the scenery, and actor Kevin Bacon became the pilot instead of Doohan. A new version pursued, first of all, not entertainment, but educational and informational purposes. It also included patriotic elements.
In terms of the number of films the Empire State Building has been featured in, the building rivals top movie stars. It all started with King Kong, filmed in 1933, where the final battle of a huge gorilla with American 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, includes 91 films.
Among other things, the Empire State Building is also the site of some of the most unusual competitions. Every year in early February, skyscraper staircase running competitions are held here. Athletes climb 1,576 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.
Over its almost 80-year history, the Empire State Building has experienced a significant number of different incidents. On July 28, 1945, a USAF B-25 Mitchell bomber, lost in dense fog, crashed into the building between the 79th and 80th floors. One of the engines pierced the skyscraper and fell onto the roof of a neighboring building, the other fell into the elevator shaft. The fire that resulted from the collision was extinguished within 40 minutes. 14 people died in the incident. Elevator Betty Lou Oliver survived a fall from 75 floors in an elevator, an achievement included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
There were fires after that too. So, in August 1988, a fire started on the 86th floor, and the fire reached the very top of the skyscraper. Fortunately, there were no casualties then. In 1990, there was another fire that 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 climbed 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 people who want to commit suicide. Over the entire period of operation of the building, more than 30 suicides were committed here. The first suicide occurred immediately after construction was completed by a recently laid off 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 there. 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 based on information from open sources
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Its authors, the architectural agency Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, were the first in history to decide to create a building project with more than a hundred floors. Opened in Mahattan in 1931, built in less than a year and a half, it was rightly considered the “eighth wonder of the world,” which was reflected in the painting of its hall. But in the 70s, the construction of the World Trade Center deprived it of the palm among the tallest buildings, and the growth in the number of skyscrapers not only in the USA, but also in other countries made the aura of uniqueness fade.
As a result, the new stage of development that began in the life of the Empire State Building at the end of the 20th century identified it as a participant in the race, no longer technological or construction, but tourist. The owners of the skyscraper, leaving it a huge office building that employs over 20 thousand people, also focus on its attractiveness for tourists. In particular, the unique gold painting of the ceiling in the lobby in the spirit of the 30s has been restored, both observation platforms (86th and 102nd floors) have been equipped so that they have a 360° view, a visitor center has been opened with a separate entrance from 34th Street, and is open. a museum that inscribes the history of the Empire State Building into the history of New York. These and other changes mean that a visit to the Empire State Building today is not only about looking at the Big Apple from a height of 373 meters, it is also about touching the living history of one of the most famous metropolises in the world, developing before your eyes.
Height of the Empire State Building in New York
There is anecdotal evidence that investors in the Empire State Building project did not negotiate the number of floors with the architect, asking him to design the building as tall as possible. Architect William Lamb started with 50 floors, but ended up with 103 floors.
Empire height The State Building from the base to the roof is 381 meters, taking into account the antenna installed on the roof - 443.2 meters. As of 2020, this is the second largest building in New York, the third in the USA, and the 51st in the world.
From the moment it was put into operation until 1970, this skyscraper in Manhattan remained unsurpassed in height not only in the States, but throughout the entire planet. A competitor appeared a dozen blocks to the south - in December 1970, the north tower of the World Trade Center was completed. Taking into account the antenna, the new building reached a record height of 530 meters.
In subsequent years, skyscrapers from other countries moved the Empire State Building to more distant positions on world lists. So by the time the Twin Towers were destroyed in 2001, he had returned to the leader position only in the New York rankings. But in 2012, the building was in second place, since the Freedom Tower, 417 meters high (on the roof), was erected on the site of the World Trade Center.
Construction of the Empire State Building
The developers of the Empire State Building project created it in just 2 weeks. The efficiency is explained by the fact that they used developments from other orders. On the site of the future skyscraper stood one of the hotels of the Astoria chain; it was to be demolished. Work began in 1929. John Raskob, one of the businessmen who financed the construction of the skyscraper, hoped to attract investment and begin construction of a new building that same year, but in October the New York Stock Exchange collapsed, and a crisis began.
Neither Raskob nor another curator of the project, Alfred Smith, lost money, but people who planned to invest in the project went bankrupt. Despite the loss of a source of funds, and the threat of low demand for offices in the future skyscraper due to the obvious crisis, Raskob and Smith chose to take out a loan rather than abandon the project altogether.
Construction of the Empire State Building began on January 22, 1930, at the height of the Great Depression.
In the winter months, the demolition of the hotel was completed, and at the same time a hole was being dug for a giant foundation. The construction of the first load-bearing structures began on March 17. The pace of construction from the first stage was impressive. The first 14 floors were erected in 10 days, and subsequently they built approximately 4 floors per week.
By November, 75 floors had been built, with steel structures up to the 95th floor. From this time on, simultaneous interior finishing of the finished levels began. The installation of 66 elevators, each with a lifting speed of 366 m/min, also began. About 3,500 workers worked on the construction of the building. The Empire State Building was commissioned on May 1, 1931, just 405 days after construction began.
Skyscraper observation decks
The building has 2 observation decks: on the 86th and 102nd floors. To get to them, you need to purchase a ticket. It is separate for each site. Tourists can access the Empire State Building through the Visitor's Center, which has an entrance on 34th Street. Tickets are sold in vending machines with a simple interface. If difficulties arise, you can contact one of the employees present in the room for help.
The machines have partially solved the problem of queuing at the ticket counters, but be prepared to spend some time waiting at the exit to the site. To avoid this, tourists visiting the Empire State Building are advised to arrive when the site opens at 8:00 or after 22:00. There are not many people at this time. In addition, at the beginning of the day you can watch the city wake up, and in the late evening enjoy the ocean of lights of the Big Apple.
The observation deck of the 86th floor is located at an altitude of approximately 340 meters, the 102nd floor - at a level of 371 meters. Both have a full all-round view, and are decorated on the ceiling and floor with projections of nearby buildings, which can be seen if you approach the panoramic glazing. It offers views of both the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. To better understand the details of the view that opens, you should download the free Observatory Experience application from the official website of the skyscraper. Also at the sites you will find powerful binoculars that will allow you to see the details of the panorama.
What else to see
The Empire State Building is famous not only for its observation decks, but also for its architecture, restored lobby interiors, a small museum where you can take a photo in King Kong's huge paw, and also for its unique lighting. Getting to know these details will make your experience of visiting the skyscraper brighter.
Lobby
Since 2009, visitors to the Empire State Building lobby can see the same ceiling that appeared above the heads of the first visitors to the skyscraper in 1931. The large fresco, created using aluminum and gold, was covered with a false ceiling in the mid-20th century and decided to be restored only fifty years later.
The Art Deco mural depicts a sky full of planets and stars, which at the same time represent an assembly line of gears. This is how designers of the last century expressed respect for the era of discoveries and technical progress. Also noteworthy is the wall behind the visitor registration desk in the lobby, which depicts the skyscraper itself and the rays emanating from its top.
It took a team of restorers 18 months to completely restore the frescoes, as well as the authentic lamps in the spirit of the 1930s, despite the fact that the entire building was built in only 13 months.
Museum and gift shop
On the 2nd floor there is a museum that tells not only about the history of the skyscraper and New York, but also about the place of the Empire State Building in popular culture. Here you can see photos of Manhattan streets in the 1920s, find out what ancient Otis elevators were like and how they worked, and also get acquainted with films, cartoons, comics, videos and other pop culture products that show the Empire State Building.
Among these films is the film “King Kong”, shot in 1933, as well as its remake, released in the “zero”. The museum even has a corner that consists of an image of King Kong looking through a window and models of his fingers breaking through the wall. Brave souls can take a photo with them!
Next to the museum there is a gift shop where you can buy magnets, dishes and other items depicting the Empire State Building. They also sell clothes with images of a skyscraper.
Ladder
Another remarkable object is the staircase, consisting of 1860 steps. Every year on February 5th, a speed climbing competition is held there. At the same time, the distance is limited to 1576 steps - participants finish on the 86th floor. New York firefighters and rescue workers also train on the stairs of the Empire State Building. Tourists can only access the stairs on competition days while participating in the race. The rest of the time it is closed to visitors; only high-speed elevators are used for ascent.
Backlight
The skyscraper's exterior lighting system also makes it one of the most remarkable buildings in New York. Spotlights are located on the upper tiers. They have been operating every day since 1964, with each day of the week corresponding to a different color.
On holidays and in honor of memorable dates, a unique range of shades is chosen. For example, on the days of games of New York teams, the building takes on the color of their official colors, on the day of the celebration of the anniversary of Elizabeth II. In 2002, it became purple and gold (the official colors of the Windsor family), and when gay pride parades are held, the facade is painted in all the colors of the rainbow. The official website of the skyscraper even has a schedule of lighting gammas.
How to get to the Empire State Building in New York
If you're staying at a hotel in Manhattan or are close to a skyscraper, check out the walking map located on the building's website. If you plan to get to the Empire State Building by public transport, then use the subway or bus.
Metro. The 34 Street - Herald Square station is a 5-minute walk from the building. It is served by trains B, D, F and M (Sixth Avenue Line), N, Q, R, W (Broadway Line).
Bus. Opposite the skyscraper on West 34th Street is the W 34 St & 5 Av bus stop. It is reached by routes such as M34-SBS, M34A-SBS, QM10, QM12, QM15, QM16, QM17, QM18, QM24.
To order a taxi ride, use mobile applications Uber, Via, Gett, Arro, Waave or others.
Panoramic view of Manhattan from the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building:
What is the view from the Empire State Building: video
The most famous skyscraper in New York City is located in Midtown Manhattan at the intersection of 34th Street 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 New York State (The Empire State). The building was built in 1931 and for 40 years was the tallest building in the world (until New York City 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 power American economy and the spirit of the American Nation.
The building was designed by a group of architects led by the American architect William Lamb. Construction of the building began in March 1930, with 3,400 workers simultaneously employed on the construction site every day. The work was completely completed on May 1, 1931, meaning 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, at the start of construction and during the year when the building was erected, engineers were constantly looking for ways to reduce its cost, the final cost of the building at the end of construction was slightly more than half of the initially expected costs - $25 million.
During the first year of operation of the Empire State Building, its observation deck brought the owners an income of $2 million, which was comparable to the funds received from renting out the building's space.
However, for several years, the owners of the Empire State Building were unable to fill the building with tenants by more than 60%, which was explained by the ongoing Great Depression. Due to this, the building was popularly nicknamed the EMPTY State 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 more than 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 weekday, making it the second largest commercial building in America after the Pentagon.
Interesting Facts
After the terrorist attack of 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 the world;
The building is currently owned by more than 2,800 investment funds through Empire State Building Associates L.L.C;
Over the years of the Empire State Building's existence, 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 a building but was thrown by a gust of wind to the floor below where she was found with a broken hip;
On July 28, 1945, at 9:40 a.m., an American pilot flying a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building between the 79th and 80th floors as a result of loss of control. As a result of the incident, 13 office workers and the pilot himself were killed;
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The feeling of being at the foot of the Empire State Building is breathtaking. What amazes the most is the fact that this giant was built in 410 calendar days! It's crazy... By the way, during my life in Moscow, I worked for 3 years in one fairly well-known development company; our company was engaged in the construction of one of the Moscow City high-rises. So, for example, the construction of that high-rise has been going on since 2003, it’s now 2013 - and the building is not a quarter 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 going to the observation deck, you will completely forget about it! You can get acquainted with the Empire State Building at one of my individual ones.
There are two observation decks - at the 86th floor level and at the 102nd floor level. 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 landing on the 102nd floor is paid separately (+ $17) - this is where you can definitely save money; the landing at the top is cramped; the view from it is practically indistinguishable from the view from the 86th floor.