Empire State Building

The Empire State Building in New York City is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world. When it was finished in 1931, it was the tallest building on Earth, and it kept that title for almost 40 years. It is built in a striking Art Deco style with a slender mast on top that was originally meant for airships to dock at.

  • CountryUnited StatesMidtown Manhattan, New York City
  • Built1930 to 1931Just 1 year and 45 days
  • Height443 metresIncluding the spire on top
  • Floors102Plus an observation deck on the 86th floor
  • Visitorsapprox. 4 million/yearAmong the most-visited skyscrapers
  • Liftsapprox. 73Including some of the fastest in the world

Empire State Building vs other tall things

Height (metres)
Burj Khalifa828 m
ESB443 m
Eiffel330 m
Big Ben96 m
Statue Lib.93 m

The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970. Today many buildings are taller, but few are more famous.

What is the Empire State Building?

The Empire State Building is a 102-storey skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was named after the state of New York, whose nickname is the "Empire State". The building is mostly offices and shops, with two observation decks (on the 86th and 102nd floors) that offer some of the best views of New York. The whole building is lit up at night, often in different colours to mark special events.

Built in just over a year

The Empire State Building was put up incredibly quickly: from the first foundation work to opening took just 1 year and 45 days. At the peak, over 3,400 workers were on site at the same time, and the building rose at an average rate of more than four floors a week. Five workers died during construction, which was actually a low number for the time. The whole project came in under budget thanks to the start of the Great Depression, which made labour and materials cheap.

Fact The Empire State Building was designed and built in an era before computers. The blueprints were drawn entirely by hand, and the structural engineering calculations were done with slide rules and pencils.

The airship mast that never worked

The slim mast on top of the Empire State Building was originally designed as a docking station for airships (giant gas-filled flying machines like the Hindenburg). The idea was that passenger airships would moor at the top, and passengers would walk down a gangway into the building. The plan was a complete failure. The wind currents at the top of the skyscraper were far too strong, and only a couple of airships ever attempted to dock. After the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, the idea was abandoned. The mast is now used as a TV and radio antenna.

Hollywood and King Kong

The Empire State Building has appeared in countless films. The most famous is the 1933 film King Kong, in which the giant ape climbs to the top of the building and fights aeroplanes. Other films include Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember, and the 2005 King Kong remake.

Did you know? In 1945, in thick fog, a B-25 bomber plane accidentally crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building. Fourteen people were killed, but the building itself was barely damaged. The structure is that strong.
Deeper dive: steel-frame construction, Art Deco and the race to the sky

The Empire State Building was a triumph of the new steel-frame skyscraper construction technique that had revolutionised tall buildings since the late 1800s. The 60,000-tonne steel frame supports the entire weight of the building, with the brick, limestone and granite exterior walls simply hanging on it for weatherproofing rather than supporting any load. The frame went up at almost one storey per day during the peak of construction in 1930.

The architectural style is Art Deco, the elegant geometric style fashionable in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Characteristic features include stepped setbacks at multiple levels (designed in part to comply with New York's 1916 zoning laws that required buildings to taper to let light reach the streets below), strong vertical lines emphasising height, decorative aluminium and stainless steel detailing, and a lobby filled with Art Deco murals, brass inlays, and a famous aluminium and gold-leaf bas-relief of the building itself.

The Empire State Building was the winner of the so-called "Race into the Sky" of the late 1920s, when New York property developers competed to build the tallest skyscraper. The race was won first by the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building (designed by H. Craig Severance) and then immediately by the Chrysler Building (designed by William Van Alen) just up the street, which secretly hid its 56-metre stainless steel spire inside the building and assembled it on the roof in 90 minutes to push past Severance's building. Less than a year later, the Empire State Building easily overtook the Chrysler Building. It remained the tallest building in the world until the World Trade Center's North Tower opened in 1970.

The other famous American landmark in New York is the Statue of Liberty. The country is the United States.

History

Built 1930–1931 during the Great Depression by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon architects. World's tallest building 1931–1972. Named after New York State's nickname "the Empire State." Featured in King Kong (1933) and dozens of films.

Significance

Defining symbol of New York City and American ambition. Masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. Held the world height record for 41 years. ~4 million visitors annually to its observation decks. A working office building containing ~1,000 companies.

Visiting

Two observation decks: 86th floor (outdoor deck with 360° views) and 102nd floor (glass-enclosed). Book tickets in advance. The 86th floor deck is the classic experience; the 102nd floor adds another 60 m of height. The building's coloured light displays change nightly. Entrance at 350 Fifth Avenue.