A few years ago, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in New York, and although buildings that are larger than it have since appeared, this place has remained one of the most significant centers for tourism. Every day, thousands of people climb the observation deck to look at Manhattan from all sides. The history of the city is closely connected with this building, so every resident is able to tell a lot of interesting information about the building with a spire.
Stages of construction of the Empire State Building
The project to create a new office building appeared in 1929. The main architectural idea belonged to William Lamb, although similar motives have already been used in the construction of other structures. In particular, in North Carolina and Ohio, you can find buildings that were actually prototypes for the future large-scale construction of New York.
In the winter of 1930, workers began to cultivate the land at the site of the future high-rise structure, and the construction itself began on March 17. In total, about 3.5 thousand people were involved, while the builders for the most part were either emigrants or representatives of the indigenous population.
The work on the project was carried out during the construction period of the city, so the tension on the site was felt from pressing deadlines. At the same time as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Wall Street skyscraper were under construction, with each owner wanting to be the most advantageous of the competition.
As a result, the Empire State Building turned out to be the highest, retaining its status for another 39 years. This success was achieved due to well-coordinated work at the construction site. According to average estimates, about four floors were erected weekly. There was even a period when workers managed to lay out fourteen floors in ten days.
In total, the construction of one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world took 410 days. The right to launch the lighting for the new office center was transferred to the then-incumbent president, who declared the Empire State Building open on May 1, 1931.
American skyscraper architecture
The height of the building together with the spire is 443.2 meters, and its width is 140 meters. The main style according to the architect's idea was Art Deco, but the facade has classical elements in the design. In total, the Empire State Building has 103 floors, with the top 16 being an add-on with two observation decks. The area of the premises exceeds 208 thousand square meters. Many people wonder how many bricks were spent on the construction of such a structure, and although no one counted their number by the piece, it is known that it took about 10 million building units.
The roof is made in the form of a spire, according to the idea, it was supposed to become the stopping point of airships. When they built the tallest skyscraper at that time, they decided to test the possibility of using the top for its intended purpose, but due to strong winds, it did not work out. As a result, in the middle of the 20th century, the airship terminal was converted into a television tower.
We advise you to look at the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
Inside, you should pay attention to the decoration of the main foyer. Its width is 30 meters, and its height is commensurate with three floors. Marble slabs add stateliness to the room, and pictures with seven wonders of the world are striking decorative elements. The eighth image shows a sketch of the Empire State Building itself, which is also identified with world famous buildings.
Of particular interest is the illumination of the tower, which is constantly changing. There is a special set of colors to apply to different days of the week, as well as combinations for national holidays. Every event significant for a city, country or world is colored in symbolic shades. For example, the day of Frank Sinatra's death was marked in blue because of the popular nickname in honor of the color of his eyes, and on the anniversary of the birthday of the British queen, a gamut from the Windsor heraldry was used.
Historical events associated with the tower
Despite the importance of the office center, it did not become popular immediately. From the moment the Empire State Building was built, an unstable economic situation reigned in the United States, so most companies in the country could not afford to occupy all office premises. The building was considered unprofitable for about a decade. Only with the change of ownership in 1951, the office center began to make a profit.
In the history of the skyscraper, there are also mourning dates, in particular, during the war years a bomber flew into the building. 1945, July 28, became devastating as the plane crashed between the 79th and 80th floors. The blow pierced the building through and through, one of the elevators fell from a great height, while Betty Lou Oliver, who was in it, survived and became one of the world record holders for this. 14 people died as a result of this incident, but the work of the offices did not stop.
Because of its fame and immense height, the Empire State Building is quite popular with those who want to end their lives. It is for this reason that the design of the viewing platforms was additionally reinforced with fences. More than thirty suicides have occurred since the tower opened. True, sometimes misfortunes can be prevented, and sometimes the case decides to do its bit. This happened to Elvita Adams, who jumped from the 86th floor, but due to strong winds she was thrown to the 85th floor, getting off with only a fracture.
Tower in culture and sports
Residents of the United States of America love the Empire State Building, which is why skyscraper episodes often appear in box-office films. The most famous scene for the world community is King Kong, hanging from a spire and waving away from planes hovering around. The rest of the films can be found on the official website, where there is a list of films with unforgettable views of the New York Tower.
The building is a platform for unusual competitions in which everyone is allowed to participate. It is necessary to temporarily overcome all the steps up to the 86th floor. The most successful winner completed the task in 9 minutes 33 seconds, and for this he had to climb 1576 steps. They also conduct tests for firefighters and policemen, but they fulfill the conditions in full gear.
Interesting facts about the name of the skyscraper
Many do not know why the tower received such an unusual name, which has "imperial" roots. In fact, the reason lies in the use of this epithet in relation to the state of New York. In fact, the name means "Building of the imperial state", which in translation sounds common to the inhabitants of this area.
An interesting play on words that appeared during the Great Depression. Then, instead of Empire, the word Empty was more often used, which was close in sound, but meant that the building was empty. In those years, office space was very difficult to lease, so the owners of the skyscraper suffered significant losses.
Useful information for tourists
Tourists in New York will certainly think about how to get to the Empire State Building. Skyscraper address: Manhattan, Fifth Avenue, 350. Visitors will have to stand in a long queue, as many people want to climb the observation decks.
It is allowed to look at the view of the city from the heights of 86 and 102 floors. Elevators rise to both marks, but the price does not change significantly. It is forbidden to take video in the lobby, but on the observation deck you can take beautiful photos with the panorama of Manhattan.
An attraction with a video tour is also held on the second floor, where you can learn more about the outskirts of the city. If you're lucky, at the entrance to the observation deck you will meet King Kong, which is rightfully considered the symbol of this place.
