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The united states was the first country to build skyscrapers, they have
improved and developed the technology used to raise buildings that seemed to touch
the sky. In the middle of new incredible skyscrapers that become the highlight of
America, The Empire State Building still remains as the iconic building and as one
of America’s symbol. the Empire State Building was to be a monument to the
audacity of the United States which states “a land which reached for the sky with
its feet on the ground”. The name of the building came from the nickname for New
York, the Empire State. Its name is pretty appropriate not only because that’s the
nickname of New York, but because the Empire State Building has influenced
architecture in nearly every corner of the globe. That’s an empire.

Located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown,
Manhattan, New York, The Empire State Building occupies an area of around
208,879 m2. This grand building stands at 1,454 feet high (443.2 m) with 102 floors,
and is currently the tallest building in New York City.

HEIGHTS RECORDS AND COMPARISON

The longest world record held by the Empire State Building was for the
tallest skyscraper (to its structural height), which it held for 42 years until it was
surpassed by the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972. in early-1970s
proposal was proposed to get rid of the spire and replace it with an additional 11
floors, which would have brought the building’s height to 1,494 feet (455 m) and
made it once again the world’s tallest at the time, was considered but ultimately
rejected.

With the destruction of the World Trade Center in the September 11 attacks,
the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City, and
the second-tallest building in the Americas, surpassed only by the Willis Tower in
Chicago.
 It is currently the fourth-tallest, surpassed by the Willis Tower, the Trump
International Hotel and Tower (Chicago) and the One World Trade Center. One
World Trade Center, currently under construction, surpassed the roof height of the
Empire State Building on April 30, 2012, and became the tallest building in New
York City—on the way toward becoming the tallest building in the Americas at a
planned 1,776 feet (541 m).

THE START OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING’S OPENING

Built in 1931, The Empire State Building only took 410 days to raise with
the effort of approximately 3,400 construction workers. Instead of taking 18 months
as anticipated, the construction took just under fifteen. The construction was an
intense competition for the tallest building. Two other projects fighting for the title
were still under construction when work began on the Empire State Building.

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The Empire State Building was designed by William F. Lamb from the
architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, who completed the building drawings
in just two weeks, using its earlier design for the Reynolds Building in Ohio as a
basis. Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction on the
building itself started symbolically on March 17. The ribbon cutting ceremony was
on May 1, 1931 and the building was officially opened when United States
President Herbert Hoover turned on the building’s lights with the push of a button
from Washington, D.C. This was about the time that the Great Depression started
and it made a major impact in society during that time.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

The skyscraper is built in the architectural art deco style. Art deco was a
modernist style, meaning it focused on unique traits to the 20th century over stylistic
traditions of the past. It plays with modern materials, such as steel and plate glass,
and incorporates elements of architectural traditions from around the world into an
original style. It was typical for the America on 1930s, the Empire State Building
is a classical representative of this style. It all shown from its geometric forms,
symmetrical patterns, and contrasted colors.

If we want to be more specific, the Empire State Building belongs to a style

of late Art Deco called Art Moderne.

Art Moderne was a take on Art Deco that was less about the ornamentation
and more about the building as a symbol of progress. Art Moderne that applies on
the Empire State Building could be seen by its simpler exteriors so that the eye can
focus purely on the streamlined shape of the building.

The modernistic stainless steel canopies of the entrances on 33rd and 34th
Streets lead to two story – high corridors around the elevator core, crossed by
stainless steel and glass – enclosed bridges at the second – floor level. The elevator
core contains 67 elevators. The lobby is three stories high and features an aluminum
relief of the skyscraper without the antenna, which was not added to the spire until
1952. Its antenna which come with an unusual shape perhaps is the most
outstanding part of the building.

The building was the first structure to have more than 100 floors. It has 73
elevators and 6,000 windows. The materials used in construction were also typical
for art deco: steel, aluminum, granite, limestone, and concrete. The resulted
construction was incredibly strong because in July 1945, there was a bomb crashed
into the Empire State Building’s 79th floor, however it reopened in only two days.

ADDITION OF FLOODLIGHTS

In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night,
the colors of the lights match with the seasonal and other event. For example, the
floodlights bathed the building in red, white, blue for several months after the
destruction of the World Trade Center, then reverted to the standard schedule.
Traditionally, in addition to the standard schedule, the building will be lit in the
colors of New York’s sports team on the nights they have home games.

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OBSERVATION DECKS AND THE HIGHEST FLOOR OF THE
BUILDING

The Empire State Building has also come to play an important role in
popular culture. Many people, who have not seen the building in person, have most
likely seen it in movies such as Sleepless in Seattle, King Kong and Elf. Today, the
most visited spot of the building is known as the observation deck. It has one of the
most popular outdoor observatories in the world, and has been visited by over 110
million people. The observation deck gives people the opportunity to experience a
bird’s eye view of the entire city, and lets you peer over rooftops and the streets of
New York City.

This Building has one of the most popular outdoor observatories in the
world, having been visited by over 110 million people. The 86th-floor observation
deck offers impressive 360-degree views of the city. There is a second observation
deck on the 102nd floor that is open to the public. It was closed in 1999, but
reopened in November 2005. It is completely enclosed and much smaller than the
first one. Tourists may pay to visit the observation deck on the 86th floor and an
additional amount for the 102nd floor. The Empire State Building makes more
money from tickets sales for its observation decks that it does from renting office
space.

The skyscraper’s observation deck plays host to several cinematic,

television, and literary classics including, An Affair to Remember, On the
Town, Love Affair and Sleepless in Seattle. In the Latin American literary
work Empire of Dreams by Giannina Braschi the observation deck is the site of a
pastoral revolution; shepherds take over the City of New York. The deck was also
the site of a publicity-stunt Martian invasion in an episode of I Love Lucy.

Also, on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building there is a door with
stairs ascending up, which leads into the 103rd floor. It was used as a
disembarkation floor for airships tethered to the buildings spire, and features a
circular balcony outside the room as well. It is now a hot spot for when celebrities
visit, and an access point to reach the spire for maintenance purposes. The room
currently contains electrical equipment.

CURRENT USE

Today the building is more than a tourist attraction. The prominent building
is part of New York history and a colourful beacon in Manhattan's skyline, as well
as a destination for extraordinary views. Currently, the Empire State Building has
its own zip code and houses over 1,000 businesses. In 2007, there were 2,700
employees reporting to work each day, making the majestic building, the second
biggest single office complex in America.

The Empire State Building is truly a magnificent example of architectural

style, engineering genius, and the spirit of the American 1930s, when the luxury of
Art Deco bordered with the poverty of the Great Depression. Although nowadays
much more advanced technologies exist, and more impressive skyscrapers can be
raised, the Empire State Building remains an icon of American architecture.