Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a renowned skyscraper located in New York City, designed by architect William F. Lamb in a record two weeks. Constructed during the early 1930s amid the Great Depression, the building was financed by a group of investors led by former governor Alfred E. Smith and was intended to be the tallest building in the world. Its distinctive stepped design, created to comply with city zoning regulations, allows for increased sunlight at street level. Originally completed in 1931, the Empire State Building briefly held the title of the tallest building until 1972, surpassing competitors like the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street.
Despite its initial struggles to fill office space, earning it the nickname "Empty State Building," the structure quickly became an iconic symbol of resilience, featuring prominently in popular culture, including the classic film "King Kong." The building's spire was originally designed for airship docking, although this concept proved impractical due to safety concerns. Today, the Empire State Building is celebrated for its Art Deco architecture and attracts millions of visitors each year, serving as a key landmark in New York City and a testament to architectural achievement.
Empire State Building
Identification Skyscraper that was the world’s tallest building for forty-one years, measuring 1,453 feet tall
Date Construction began March 17, 1930; opened to the public on May 1, 1931
Place Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, New York City
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous structures in the world and was the world’s tallest building for more than forty years, from 1931 until the completion of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972.
The design for the iconic Empire State Building was created in two weeks by William F. Lamb of the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. Lamb was forced by city zoning regulations to develop “setbacks,” or levels in the design where the building would gradually narrow to the central spire. This was meant to allow maximum street-level sunlight; this city requirement helped give the building its distinctive, slightly fragmented appearance.
The Empire State Building was the brainchild of a group of investors, including John Jakob Raskob and Pierre Du Pont and headed by former New York governor and presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith. Together the men formed Empire State, Inc., to oversee the financing and construction of the 37 million cubic foot, $24.7 million office tower. From the outset, the group wished the building to be the tallest in the world and every effort was made to ensure that the finished height remained a secret until the structure neared completion. This was because the Empire State Building was in direct competition to be the tallest with two other New York skyscrapers: 40 Wall Street (then known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building) and the Chrysler Building. In fact, both 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building briefly held the title of world’s tallest building in 1930 and 1931. The Empire State Building’s spire made it taller than the Chrysler Building. It held the distinction as the tallest building until 1972.
Although the building was conceived and initial plans were begun before the onset of the Great Depression, the majority of the construction took place as the financial crisis worsened in the first years of the 1930’s. Despite the unfortunate timing of the building’s construction, it provided jobs for the nearly thirty-four hundred workers who contributed to its erection. Like other major construction projects of the period, the Empire State Building symbolized the feeling that the United States could recover from the Depression. Enthusiasm for the project helped it rise at the rate of four and one-half stories per week at its fastest.
When the Empire State Building opened, much of its office space was unrented, earning it the nickname the “Empty State Building.” In an attempt to suggest full occupancy, workers were hired to turn lights on in the building during the night. The observation deck on the eighty-sixth floor took in nearly $2 million per year and helped keep the building solvent. The building quickly took on iconic status and was featured in the climactic scene of the 1933 film King Kong. The colored illumination at the top, one of the structure’s most recognizable features, was first lit in 1932 in celebration of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s victory over Herbert Hoover for president of the United States.
The building’s spire was originally intended to serve as a docking point for dirigibles and other airships. However, despite a handful of attempts, the updrafts caused by the building itself proved to be too dangerous to the passengers attempting to disembark from the airships and so the idea was abandoned.
Impact
The Empire State Building survived a turbulent first few years of operation to become a world architectural landmark and a valuable business property. The seven million man-hours involved in the building’s construction were squeezed into a mere one year and forty-five days, a record for the completion of a building of its height. It is recognized globally as a symbol of New York City and is an example of Art Deco architecture at its best.
Bibliography
Kingwell, Mark. The Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2006.
Tauranac, John. The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1995.