Welcome to the first episode of “Great Buildings Around the World.” And for the premiere, we have the classic: the Empire State Building, one of the most important tourist spots in the country and a must-see when visiting the city.
This iconic work is located in the heart of Manhattan, New York, on Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets West. Opened in 1931, it was considered the tallest building in the world until the construction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1972.
It was listed by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1981 and classified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Architecture and Structure
It was designed in the Art Deco style, characteristic of the 1920s, by William F. Lamb and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon. It features geometric shapes, ornaments, metal, a shiny aspect, lighting, and height.
The lights on the building’s façade change colors on special occasions such as St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and Mexico’s Independence Day. In the year it first received colored lighting at its top, 1976, the building reached the mark of 50 million visitors.
50,000 steel beams were assembled and covered with glass, bricks, and limestone. The façade is composed of 5,700 m³ of limestone and granite, 10 million bricks, 730 tons of aluminum and stainless steel. Today, the building can house 20,000 tenants and 15,000 visitors.
Additionally, the building was designed to have no windows that open. Glass is applied directly to the walls with a steel frame around it. This was done to prevent accidents, as being 300 meters high, a person opening a window could be blown away by the wind.
Construction
Excavations began on January 22, 1930. The project involved 3,400 workers, mostly European immigrants and hundreds of Mohawks (a Native American tribe) mainly from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal. It is important to note that at that time the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and specific protection for working at heights was not mandatory. According to official data, five workers died during construction.
The building was part of an intense competition in New York for the title of the World’s Tallest Building. Other projects competing for the title, 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building, were still in the planning stages when construction began. Both would have held the title for less than a year when the Empire State surpassed them upon completion, just 410 days after construction started.
The building even set a construction record, with an average pace of 4.5 floors per week.
A Frequent Star on Screen!
No building in the world has appeared in as many films! It has been the setting for major movies such as King Kong, Independence Day, Superman II, and Spider-Man, as well as TV series like Friends and Sex and the City. Surely you have seen a movie or series where the building appears!
Technical Data
- Architect: Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
- Engineer: Homer Gage Balcom
- Style: Art Deco
- Built Area: 185,000 m²
- Weight of metal structure: 60,000 tons
- Foundations 17 m below street level: Reinforced concrete
- Structural skeleton: Metal pillars and beams
- Floor slab: Special mixed system
- Complete installations and services: Plumbing, sanitary, electrical, telephone, TV, air conditioning, heating
- Height to 103rd floor: 373 m
- Height to antenna top: 443 m
- Opening date: 05/01/1931
- Budget: R$ 40,948,900
And you? Have you visited? Tell us about it!
Check out the video about the Empire State on our Instagram!
