Empire State Building



350 Fifth Avenue

New York City NY United States



Status: built Construction Dates Began 1930 Finished 1931 Floor Count 102 Basement Floors 1 Floor Area 208,879 m² Building Uses - office - communication - observation - retail Structural Types - highrise Architectural Style - art deco Materials - steel - limestone - aluminium - granite - concrete

Heights Value Source / Comments Antenna 1454 ft CTBUH Decreased from 448.7 meters. Roof 1250 ft Empire State Building Company LLC 1250 feet Top floor 1224 ft -"- 86th floor observatory 1050 ft -"- Base 0 ft Basement -35 ft -"- Sea level -51 ft FCC Reg. #1007048 Foundation -55 ft Empire State Building Company LLC

Description

• The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, built in just 18 months during the Great Depression, it was the world's tallest building in 1931–1972 (also world's tallest structure till 1954 and free-standing one till 1967).



• It's original cost, including the price of land, was $40,948,000, a very low figure for a building of this size even at that time. The building itself cost only $24,718,000.



• The Empire State Building was built on the former site of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.



• The shape of the Empire State Building was inspired by its developer, John Jakob Raskob, who is said to have pulled a pencil from his drawer, held it up to his architect (William Lamb), and asked "Bill, how tall can you make it so that it won't fall down?"



• The observation tower at the top of the Empire State Building was originally intended to be a dock for mooring airships. However, after several futile attempts at mooring a zeppelin in the strong winds present at 1250 feet, the idea was scrapped.



• On a Saturday, July 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed into Empire State Building's 79th floor, which housed the Catholic War Relief Services. Only 14 people died and the Empire State Building reopened 2 days later.



• The top of the Empire State Building is lit up at night in different colors to celebrate various holidays. For a long time after Sept. 11, 2001, it was continuously lit red, white, and blue.



• The height of the antenna has been decreased from 448.7 meters (1472 feet) to 443.2 meters (1454 feet).



• After 09.11.2001, it regained its title as the tallest building in NYC, lost from the destruction of WTC twin towers. ESB was surpassed by One World Trade Center in 2013.



• The 86th floor observatory is visited by 3.5 milllion people every year.



• Member of "World Federation of Great Towers".



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Companies Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates - Architect