EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

INTRODUCTION

The Empire State Building, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in
the world. Standing at 381 m tall, (total height with spire - 443 m), it held the title of world’s
tallest building from 1931 to 1971, and today remains the fourth-tallest building in the United States.

It is particularly distinctive for its art deco design, typical of pre-World War II architecture in New York,
together with a series of steps in its profile that cause it to taper with height.

As a cultural icon, the Empire State Building has been featured in numerous works of film, TV and art,
and was named one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil
Engineers.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Legend has it that the building originated from a competition between Walter Chrysler of the Chrysler
Corporation and John Jakob Raskob of General Motors to see who could build the tallest skyscraper.
Chrysler began work on the Chrysler Building in Midtown Manhattan, and so Raskob chose
the architecture firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates to design a buildingthat would surpass it.

The design was said to have been based on a pencil, with 85 storeys of commercial and officespace. The
86th floor houses an indoor and outdoor observation deck, and the 16 storeysabove form the art
deco tower, topped by an observatory on the 102nd floor. It was the first building in the world to exceed
100 floors. The building has a total of 73 elevators located in a central core. The spire was added to
ensure its total height was greater than the Chrysler Building and this was later converted into a
broadcast tower for TV and radio.

It was built using a hot riveted steel frame. This means the joints are stronger than any weld or bolt, as
the hot rivets apply pressure between the two surfaces.

The building is also notable for its very swift construction; the entire structure took less than 14 months
to build. At any one time the project employed up to 3,400 workers which was seen as a proud symbol
of productivity in the midst of the Great Depression.

POST – COMPLETION

The building was officially opened on 1st May 1931 by President Herbert Hoover. Despite its recognition
as an architectural triumph, the building’s rentable space remained largely empty for several years, which
 led to New Yorkers dubbing it the ‘Empty State Building’. It was only in 1950, as the United States began
to experience renewed economic prosperity, that the buildingbecame profitable.

In 1945, the building was hit by a B-25 bomber plane in heavy fog, which caused a fire and killed 14
people.

Culturally, the building is an icon, largely as a result of its appearance in the 1933 film ‘King Kong’ in
which the eponymous ape scales the building whilst being attacked by fighter planes.

In 1965, floodlights were added and the spire is illuminated regularly on special occasions.

In 2009, a $106 million energy efficiency retrofit project began, which succeeded in transforming
the building into one of the most sustainable in the world. The retrofit included upgrades to mechanical
electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems and the replacement of all 6,514 windows with units that have
400% more thermal efficiency than normal dual pane windows. In 2011 it became the tallest building to
be awarded a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating certificate.

Today, the Empire State Building remains a popular tourist attraction, with 360-degree views of
Manhattan from the 86th floor observation deck.

PROJECT DATA:

 Address: 350 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, USA

 Construction started: 1930
 Completed: 1931
 Height: 443.2 m
 Floors: 103
 Floor area: 208,879 m2
 Architect: Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
 Main contractor: Starrett Brothers and Eken
 Construction cost: $40,948,900
 Owner: Empire State Realty Trust