The building was designed by Shreve, Lam & Harmon Architects. The creators of the skyscraper designed it in the Art Deco style. Unlike most modern skyscrapers, the facade of the tower is made in a classical style. The only decorative element of the gray stone facade is vertical stripes of stainless steel. The hall inside has a length of 30 meters and a height of three floors. It is decorated with panels depicting the seven wonders of the world, and the eighth is added to them - the Empire State Building itself.

The skyscraper was built in a record 410 days, on average 4.5 floors were built per week, and sometimes in 10 days a new building grew by 14 floors. 5662 cubic meters of limestone and granite were used for the construction of the outer walls. In total, the builders used 60 thousand tons of steel structures, 10 million bricks and 700 km of cable. The building has 6500 windows. Its design is such that the main load is borne by the steel frame, and not by the walls. He transfers this load directly to the most powerful "two-story" foundation. Thanks to the innovation, the weight of the building has significantly decreased and amounted to 365 thousand tons.

By the time construction was completed, the height of the building was 381 m (after a television tower was erected on the roof of the Empire State Building in 1952, its height reached 443 m).

On May 1, 1931, the official opening of the skyscraper took place. The then President of the country, Herbert Hoover, opened the Empire State Building: by flicking a switch from Washington, he lit the lights of the highest man-made structure in the world at that time.

The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world for over 40 years. The skyscraper lost this title only after the construction in 1972 of the twin towers of the World shopping center. The tragic death of the twin towers during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack returned the status of the tallest building in New York to the Empire State Building, although the skyscraper could no longer claim world leadership.

The Empire State Building occupies about one hectare of land on Manhattan Island, at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 34th Street. The building houses offices of 640 companies employing about 50,000 people.

The skyscraper is a landmark of Manhattan and New York. The famous skyscraper is visited by thousands of tourists every day. On a high-speed elevator in one minute they can go up to the observation deck located on the 86th floor and see the panorama of New York: its streets, squares, parks, bridges and even ships at sea. On the 102nd floor is a glazed circular observatory. From a height of 381 m, a panorama of five states opens up.

The landmark of New York is not only the skyscraper itself, but also its unique lighting system. The tradition of lighting up the Empire State Building with different colors on various holidays has been around for a long time. So, on Independence Day of the United States, the skyscraper becomes blue-red-white, and on St. Patrick's Day - green, on Columbus Day - green-white-red. To do this, plastic disks are changed on 200 spotlights illuminating the 30 upper floors.

Even before a radio and TV tower was placed on the roof of the skyscraper, it was planned that the upper part of the Empire State Building would serve not only for festive illumination of the city. The architects designed the roof structure in such a way that it served as a pier for passenger airships, which in the 30s. last century were fashionable vehicle and successfully competed with the not yet very reliable passenger aircraft. The 102nd floor was a docking platform with a gangway for climbing onto the airship. A special elevator running between the 86th and 102nd floors could be used to transport passengers, whose check-in was to be made on the 86th floor. In reality, not a single airship on the roof of the Empire State Building has ever docked. The idea of ​​an air terminal turned out to be unsafe - the strong and unstable air currents at the top of the 381-meter building made berthing very difficult. And soon the airships, in principle, ceased to be used as a vehicle.

On the second floor of the building there is an attraction, opened in 1994 for tourists. The attraction is called New York Skyride is a simulator of air travel over the city. The duration of the attraction is 25 minutes. From 1994 to 2001, the old version an attraction in which Star Trek actor James Doohan, Scotty, as an airplane pilot, humorously tried to maintain control of a plane during a storm. After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, this attraction was closed. In the new version, the plot remained the same, but the towers of the World Trade Center were removed from the scenery, and actor Kevin Bacon became the pilot instead of Doohan. A new version pursued, first of all, not entertaining, but educational and informational goals. It also included patriotic elements.

In terms of the number of films in which the Empire State Building was shot, the building can compete with leading movie stars. It all started with "King Kong" filmed in 1933, where the final battle of a huge gorilla with US Air Force fighters took place on the roof of this skyscraper. Now the list of films in which the Empire State Building appears, given on the official website of the skyscraper, has 91 films.

Among other things, the Empire State Building is also the venue for one of the most unusual competitions. It hosts a skyscraper stair running competition in early February every year. Athletes overcome 1576 steps of the building - from the 1st to the 86th floor - in a few minutes. In 2003, Paul Craik set a record that has not yet been broken - 9 minutes 33 seconds.

For almost 80 years Empire history The State Building has experienced a significant number of different incidents. On July 28, 1945, a US Air Force B-25 Mitchell bomber, lost in dense fog, crashed into a building between the 79th and 80th floors. One of the engines broke through the skyscraper and fell on the roof of a neighboring building, the other fell into the elevator shaft. The fire that resulted from the collision was extinguished after 40 minutes. 14 people died in the incident. Elevator Betty Lou Oliver survived a fall in an elevator from a height of 75 floors - this achievement hit the Guinness Book of Records.

There were fires after that. So, in August 1988, a fire started on the 86th floor, and the fire reached the very top of the skyscraper. Luckily, there were no casualties then. In 1990, a fire broke out again, which claimed the lives of 38 people.

There were also incidents of a different kind. In February 1997, 69-year-old Palestinian Ali Hassan Abu Kamal went up to the observation deck, pulled out a pistol and opened fire on tourists. He killed one person, wounded six, and then shot himself. When the site reopened two days later, visitors were already being probed with magnetometers.

Since its construction, the Empire State Building has attracted those who want to commit suicide. During the entire period of operation of the building, more than 30 suicides were committed here. The first suicide occurred just after the construction was completed by a recently fired worker. As a result, in 1947, a fence had to be erected around the observation site, since in just three weeks there were five suicide attempts here. At the same time, funny things happened: in 1979, Miss Elvita Adams decided to take her own life and jumped from the 86th floor. But a strong wind threw her to the 85th floor, and she escaped with only a broken hip.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

You will surely become one of the millions of tourists crowding in huge queues in order to get into Empire State Building. This is not surprising, because King Kong himself sought to get to the top of the building. Everywhere in New York you will find souvenirs, postcards, flyers and T-shirts with the image of the Empire State Building.

Empire State Building officially opened on May 1, 1931, and became the tallest building of that time. Its height is 1250 feet (381 m). This skyscraper has become not only an icon of New York, it has become a symbol of the human desire to achieve the impossible.

Built in 1889, the 984-foot (300 m) Eiffel Tower spurred American architects to build something taller. This may have been the reason for the start of the skyscraper race in the twentieth century. So, in 1909, the fifty-story MetLife Tower (Metropolitan Life Tower) was built, whose height is 700 feet (214 m). 4 years later, in 1913. the 57-story Woolworth Building was built, 792 feet (241 m) high. And in 1929, the tallest in New York was the 71-story Bank of Manhattan Building - 927 feet (283 m).

When former General Motors vice president John Jakob Raskob decided to join the skyscraper race, Walter Chrysler (founder of the Chrysler Corporation) was already building the Chrysler Building. Chrysler kept the height of his building a strict secret, so when he started construction, Raskob did not know whose building would be higher, his or Chrysler's.

In 1929, Raskob bought a site for his skyscraper at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. The glamorous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was located on this site. The land on which the hotel was located has grown in value, so the owners of the hotel decided to sell it and build a new hotel in another place. Raskobu cost this plot of land (together with the hotel) about $16 million.

Raskob hired Shreve, Lamb & Harmon to design the skyscraper.

Discussing the design of the building with the architect William Lamb, Raskob took a long pencil, put it on the table and asked: - "Bill, how high can you build the building so that it does not fall?". Thus began the saga of the construction of one of the most famous buildings in the world.

Raskob needed the best builders to implement the project. By inviting contractors from Starrett Bros. & Eken”, Raskob asked – do they have the necessary construction equipment? To which Poll Starrett, the foreman of the company, replied that they did not even have a pick and a shovel. Raskob, of course, was surprised by this answer, since other construction companies, with whose representatives he spoke, had all the necessary equipment, and rented the missing. However, Starrett convinced him that a building of this magnitude needed special approach and conventional construction equipment will not help here. For the construction of the skyscraper, Starrett offered to buy new equipment on credit and sell it after the work was completed. Largely due to his honesty and openness, Starret received an eighteen-month contract to build Empire State Building.

The first item on Starrett's schedule was the demolition of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. After people learned about the demolition of the hotel, Raskob received thousands of requests for mementos in the form of parts of the building. An Iowa resident asked for part of a metal railing to be sent to him, several people asked for the keys to the room they occupied during their honeymoon. They also asked to send a flagpole, stained-glass windows, fireplaces, lamps, bricks, etc. And for some especially demanded positions, an auction was held.

The rest of the building materials were sold for reuse. The main part of the debris was taken to the dock, loaded onto barges, towed fifteen miles from the coast and dumped into the Atlantic Ocean.

Even before the complete demolition of the hotel, the builders had already begun excavating a foundation pit for a new building. Two shifts of 300 men worked day and night, digging into the hard rocky ground.

The steel frame of the building was completed on March 17, 1930. Two hundred and ten steel columns formed a vertical frame. Twelve of them ran the full height of the building, the other parts were six to eight stories high.

Passers-by often stopped and, raising their heads, looked with admiration at the workers. Harold Butcher, a correspondent for the London Daily Herald, described the builders as "carelessly strolling, crawling, climbing, arm-waving men, hovering on gigantic steel frames."

But the most interesting thing was to watch the rivet riveters. They worked in groups of four: the warmer, the catcher, the thrower, and the riveter. The heater placed about ten rivets in the fiery forge, when they were red hot, he pulled them out with huge tongs and handed them to the thrower, who in turn threw them at a distance of 50 to 75 feet - at the catcher. The catcher caught the rivets with a tin can, they fell into the can while still in a hot state. With the other hand, he pulled the rivet out of the can with tongs, blew the ashes off it, and then inserted it into the hole. The riveter had only to beat it with a hammer. These people walked all the way from the 1st to the 102nd floor in this way. The last rivet was solemnly hammered in the presence of a large number people - this rivet was poured out of pure gold.

Construction frame Empire State Building was a model of efficiency. All work was aimed at saving time, money and human resources. For the prompt delivery of materials at the construction site, a railway was built. Instead of unloading ten million bricks at the construction site, as they usually did, Starrett's workers unloaded them into a special chute that led to a bunker located in the basement. The chute narrowed at the bottom to control the release of its contents. If necessary, the bricks were poured from the bunker directly into carts, which were then lifted to the desired floor. This process eliminated the need to block off streets to store bricks, and also eliminated the need to manually load bricks from piles into carts.

Literally simultaneously with the construction of the frame, electricians and plumbers installed the internal communications of the building.

Having rebuilt 80 floors, Raskob realized that this was not enough, as the Chrysler Building was getting even higher. Having completed 5 more floors, the Empire State Building was only four feet taller than its competitor. Raskoba was disturbed by the idea that Walter Chrysler was hiding a rod in the spire of a building, thanks to which, in last moment he can make the skyscraper even taller.

The skyscraper race became more and more dramatic. After studying the model of the building, Raskob came up with the idea to build a pier for airships on top of the skyscraper. The new design of the Empire State Building, which included a pier for landing airships, made the building 1,250 feet (381 m) high.

Have you ever waited for an elevator in a six or nine story building that seemed to take forever? Or have you ever taken an elevator that stopped at every floor to pick up or drop off a passenger? The Empire State Building had 102 floors, with the capacity to accommodate 15,000 people. How to get all people to the right floor without waiting for hours for the elevator and without climbing the stairs?

To solve this problem, the architects developed seven categories of elevators, each serving a specific floor. For example, group A serves from the third to the seventh floor, group B serves from the 7th to the 18th floor. So, if you need to get to the 65th floor, for example, you could take the group F elevator, which stops from the 55th to the 67th floor, and not from the 1st to the 102nd.

The Otis Elevator Company installed 58 passenger and 8 freight elevators in the Empire State Building. Although these elevators could travel up to 1,200 feet (365 m) per minute, their speed was limited. building codes up to 700 feet (213 m) per minute. A month after the opening of the Empire State Building, this restriction was lifted, and the elevators accelerated their movement to 1200 feet per minute.

Empire State Building was built within the scheduled time frame of 1 year and 45 days, which was an amazing achievement. The construction of the building did not go over budget due to the onset of the Great Depression, during which labor costs were reduced. The total cost of construction work amounted to $40,948,900 instead of the planned $50 million.

The Empire State Building was opened on May 1, 1931. The ribbon was cut by New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker, and President Herbert Hoover lit the skyscraper with thousands of lights with a symbolic push of a button from Washington.

Empire State Building received the status of the tallest building in the world and held this bar until the construction of the first tower of the World Trade Center in 1972.

The Empire State Building is, first of all, a huge office center, and also one of the most attractive tourist sites in the city. The skyscraper is considered the second largest office building in the country, second only to the US military - the Pentagon. 85 floors of the Empire State Building are occupied by offices, where 21 thousand employees work daily, and observation decks are located on its two floors.

The designers planned to use the long spire of the skyscraper as a mooring mast for mooring airships. But later this idea was abandoned, because at the level of the spire almost always blow strong winds. In addition, the architects had little idea of ​​the features of aeronautics on airships. In the drawings, they depicted passengers who enter the spire of the Empire State Building from the nose of the aircraft, when in reality loading and unloading should take place in a gondola located under the airship. So the idea of ​​the designers could not be implemented in principle.

Back in December 1931, just six months after construction was completed, an antenna was installed on the spire of the building, with the help of which, as an experiment, NBC conducted the first transmission of a television signal. And 10 years later, the era of commercial television began. Today, the high-rise building of the Empire State Building houses the transmitters of almost all TV channels and radio stations in the city.

Construction history

The first half of the last century was held in New York under the motto "Who will be able to build the tallest skyscraper?". Since 1913, for 27 years, the Woolvolt Building has held the palm. This building had 57 floors and reached a height of 241 m. Then the 70-story Trump Bilbing, located at 40 Wall Street, became the leader. It rose 282.5 m into the sky. This record did not last long - only two months. The next favorite was the Chrysler Building. The height of this skyscraper with a long spire reached 320 m.

Construction stages of the Empire State Building

The designers of the new high-rise building faced a difficult task. They needed to create more than just a new champion. They wanted to build a building that would become a real legend.

The design work was led by the architect William Lamb, who at that time already had experience in designing the Reynolds Building and the Carew Tower. The well-known financier and businessman John Raskob undertook to invest in large-scale construction, as well as Pierre Dupont, who at the same time was one of the leaders of America's largest chemical concert, DuPont, and the automotive giant General Motors.

The place for the new record-breaking skyscraper was chosen at the 34th intersection West Street and Fifth Avenue. In those days, there was an old Waldorf-Astoria hotel (Waldorf-Astoria). It consisted of two buildings, which were connected by a wide hall. Both buildings were built in the 90s XIX years century, designed by New York architect Henry J. Hardenberg. And the Esther family owned this hotel.

When the decision was made to build a huge skyscraper, a new building began to be built for the hotel on Fifth Avenue. In the late autumn of 1929, the old hotel began to be demolished, and more than 16 thousand trucks of broken bricks and stone fragments were taken out of here.

Famous footage from the construction of the Empire State Building
Skyscraper in September 1930

The main construction began on March 17, 1930, on St. Patrick's Day, and it began with earthworks and the laying of a huge foundation. Then, in record time - from the beginning of April to the end of November - a frame was erected from steel beams. The skyscraper was recognized as the tallest building in the world back in September 1930, when the builders completed the installation of the 85th floor of the frame.

The construction was huge - 3439 people took part in it, most of which were newly arrived on American soil emigrants. Mohawk Indians were used in high-altitude work, since these natural climbers were considered excellent fitters and were not at all afraid of heights.

This feature has been explained in different ways. Some believed that Mohawks had developed from birth vestibular apparatus, because their women constantly carried babies with them, swaddling children in special cradles. Others claimed that during the hunt, the Indians were accustomed to placing their feet on narrow paths one after another, and it was easier for them to keep on narrow metal structures. Another version said that the Mohawk warriors perceived the height as a challenge and courageously coped with the difficulties that arose in order to achieve victory. In any case, the fact remains that the members of this Indian tribe took part in all high-rise constructions in Canada and the USA and coped with complex high-rise work better than other workers.

During the week, the Empire State Building grew by an average of 4.5 floors. Once a record was set: workers built 14.5 floors in just 10 days. In order for the builders not to wander far from their workplaces during lunch breaks, food for them (hot lunches, sandwiches, drinks and ice cream) was served immediately to five levels of the building.

View of New York on the opening day of the Empire State Building (1931) An unsuccessful attempt to dock an airship with the spire of the Empire State Building in 1952

In addition, rapid construction became possible due to the simplicity of the design, the components of which were conveniently delivered and lifted up. Pittsburgh became the supplier of steel structures for this skyscraper. And the logistics were so streamlined that often beams were attached to the frame, which the steel plant had produced just three days before.

However, such a large-scale construction, unfortunately, was not without casualties. According to official statistics, five workers died during the construction of the skyscraper. The duration of construction work and the cost of them broke all records. The high-rise building was built in just one year and 45 days - until May 1, 1931. Instead of the planned 43, it cost $24.7 million. Such a low cost was due to the fall in prices during the Great Depression.

On the official opening day of the Empire State Building, President Herbert Hoover solemnly turned on the lights in the new skyscraper and did it right from the White House. And all the architects who participated in the design were awarded various honorary awards.

However, the Great Depression still continued, and it was only by 1948 that the funds spent on the construction of a new skyscraper were returned. All this time, an important source of income was the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, which was visited annually by up to 3.5 million people. Most of the office space remained empty for a long time, so the townspeople initially called the new skyscraper Empty (empty).

View of the tower from New York street

architectural features

In the early 30s of the last century, the built Empire State Building became not only the most tall building in the world, but also the first skyscraper with over 100 floors. Its wide base is 60 m by 124.5 m. With free ledges, this 102-story building rises to a height of 381 m. And the spire, framed by ribs in the form of wings, increases it to 443 meters.

The Empire State Building record stood for over 30 years. Only in 1972, when the buildings for the World Trade Center were built in the city, did the high-rise on Fifth Avenue take the second position. But when, after the terrorist attack in September 2001, the twin towers were destroyed, the old skyscraper again received the status of the tallest building in the city.

The Empire State Building is over 250,000 sq. m. On the longitudinally striped facades of the skyscraper, there are 6.4 thousand windows, and total area glazed surface approaches two hectares.

Like many high-rise buildings of that time, the skyscraper was built in the Art Deco style. This eclectic style, which absorbed the features of neoclassicism and modernism, was born in the 20s of the last century. It was very popular all over the world in the 1930s and 1940s and was reflected not only in architecture, but also in painting, fashion, car design, household items and interiors.

On the outside, the Empire State Building's brick walls are clad in Salem limestone, which came from Indiana. It is good for its uniformity and texture resembles the surface of bread. And the recesses in the interfloor spaces were lined with a darker finishing stone. The peculiarity of the finish was that the stone was fixed without additional corners and supports, directly to the steel frame beams. And the joints between stone slabs and windows were skillfully covered with chrome-plated steel strips.

Interior of the Empire State Building

Entrance lobby at the Empire State Building

The entrance lobby of the high-rise building is decorated with rich purple and gray Germanic marble. A large panel mounted here features a bas-relief made of aluminum, where you can see the shining sun and the silhouette of the Empire State Building.

Corridor on the 80th floor

The internal layout was determined more by a fixed budget and short terms construction than any architectural delights, therefore, in the created premises, the installations created in the project are strictly maintained - no more than 8.53 m from windows to corridors. Such dimensions were necessary to provide in all offices desired level lighting.

In order for employees and visitors to be able to go up to any floor of the building, 73 high-speed elevators are installed in it, on which you can reach the 80th floor within one minute. Those who want to climb to the top floor on foot will have to overcome 1860 steps.

The location of the elevators and the fixed dimensions of the office space determined the entire configuration of the Empire State Building skyscraper and the arrangement of its ledges. Floor sizes decrease with height, and the number of elevators also decreases. Thus, the tallest building in the city turned out to be very functional.

tourist attraction

Observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building

The silhouette of the skyscraper is well recognizable. He became a real "crown" and decoration of New York. The designers of the Empire State Building have created a structure that, like the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, dominates the entire city. From the side of Fifth Avenue, the entrance to the building is "guarded" by sculptures of eagles. This skyscraper is so popular in the USA that numerous souvenirs with its image can be bought everywhere.

On the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building, two large observation decks are specially equipped for tourists. The upper platform is smaller and not full view.

Observation deck on the 102nd floor

The observation deck on the 86th floor is attractive because it has a full 360° panorama. You can climb it on foot, breaking the stairs of more than 1.5 thousand steps, or by elevator. From here you can see the city streets and skyscrapers of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, the green islands of parks and the strait. A good view of the city is from the platform both when the sun is shining and at night. It is convenient that all the sights that can be seen from above are marked on the diagram placed on the observation deck.

In addition, a special tourist attraction has been created on the second floor of the Empire State Building skyscraper, which simulates a flight over the city - the New York Skyride. This simulator is very popular with visitors to New York and especially those traveling with children. For 25 minutes of "flight" you need to pay $ 52. The entrance to the attraction is from 33rd Street and is open from 8.00 to 22.00 all year round.

Views from observation decks

In 1964, during the days of the World's Fair, floodlights were installed on the Empire State Building skyscraper, illuminating its upper part with white light. After 12 years, decorative lighting was made colored. And today, on the days of great holidays and anniversaries the building is illuminated in different ways: red, orange and yellow flowers on Thanksgiving Day, white and blue on Presidents Day, green on St. Patrick's Day. On Valentine's Day, the top of the skyscraper turns red, pink and white. And about 50 couples annually perform a wedding ceremony in a high-rise building.

Tickets to the Empire State Building

1. Before visiting the famous high-rise building in New York, you should take care of tickets in advance. The easiest way to buy them is on the official website of the Empire State Building: www.esbnyc.com. Tickets for the observation deck on the 86th floor will cost $32 for adults, $29 for those over 62 years old, and $26 for children from 6 to 12 years old. Tickets for both observation decks (86 and 102 floors) are for everyone visitors over 6 years old cost $85. You will have to pay extra for the opportunity to skip the queues. It is noteworthy that tickets are valid for a year from the date of purchase, and it is not difficult to print them on a printer.

skyscraper red light

Besides, in travel agencies You can purchase a City Pass. This is a tour of New York with the right to visit six of the city's main attractions. In this case, a visit to the Empire State Building is possible at a reduced price.

On the Internet, you can find many companies offering to visit the famous skyscraper. However, they do not sell tickets, but vouchers. And you have to spend time to then exchange these vouchers for real tickets.

Empire State Building Observation Deck

2. No need to take anything extra with you. Luggage storage at the entrance to the Empire State Building is not provided. And security at mandatory verification will not allow bulky bags, suitcases, drinks, water and even large camera tripods to be brought into the building.

3. It's a good idea to stock up on a few 50 cents ahead of time. They will be needed to use the binoculars located on observation decks.

Observation deck on the 86th floor

4. The observation deck on the 86th floor is open to all winds, so you should take care of the appropriate clothing and headgear.

5. The skyscraper opens to visitors at 8 am and closes at 2 am. In the mornings, the queue is much smaller. And on holidays and weekends there are so many people that it is better not to plan a visit here.

The remains of a bomber on the facade of a skyscraper

• The state of New York is often referred to by Americans as the Imperial State, which is why the tallest skyscraper in the city is called the Imperial State Building.
• The Empire State Building is so huge that the country's postal department assigned it its own index - 10118.
• 55,000 tons of steel, 10 million bricks, 200 thousand cubic meters were spent on the construction of a high-rise building. feet of stone, 2 million feet of electrical wire and 1,170 miles of elevator cables. The marble floor in the Empire State Building covers an area of ​​30,000 square meters. m. The skyscraper itself weighs about 331,000 tons.
• The strength of the Empire State Building skyscraper was tested as a result of tragic events. At the end of July 1945, a B-25 Mitchell military plane crashed into him between the 79th and 80th floors. This happened because in conditions of heavy fog and low visibility, the aircraft commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Smith (Jr.), lost control. The impact was so strong that one of the bomber's engines flew through the entire building. As a result of this tragedy, 14 people died and 26 people received various injuries. However, the building itself suffered little damage. The outer walls were damaged and a fire broke out inside, which was extinguished after only 40 minutes. All the consequences were eliminated very quickly, and the next day the offices were working as usual.
• The famous high-rise building "became famous" thanks to the film about King Kong. It was from this skyscraper of the Empire State Building that he fell, shot by police helicopters. Many suicides tried to commit suicide by jumping down from a high-rise building, so now guards are constantly on duty at the observation decks, and a metal canopy was equipped over the sidewalk to protect pedestrians.
King Kong on top of the Empire State Building. Frame from the 1933 film

How to get there

The Empire State Building skyscraper stands in the central part of Manhattan. On the subway lines N, Q, P you need to go to the station "34th Street / Herald Square". If you use ground public transport, you can drive up to the skyscraper by buses M4, M10, M16 and M34.

To date, the famous skyscraper Empire State Building (Empire State Building) has again become the most high structure, ranking fifteenth in height in the world and third in.

The first decades of the last century for New York became a period of a kind of competition between skyscraper builders - who will build higher. In 1913, the Woolworth Building, which had 57 floors, made a splash. For 17 years it was the highest. In 1930, it was briefly overtaken by a 70-story skyscraper along Wall Street, house number 40, and then by the seventy-seven-story office of the automobile giant Chrysler.

The main task that was set for the builders of the Empire State Building was to surpass in height all the buildings that existed at that time.

William Lamb was appointed the head of the design of this skyscraper. This architect was no stranger to such matters, having previously successfully designed the Carew Tower in Cincinnati and the Reynolds Building in North Carolina. The construction was financed by businessman John Raskob, as well as Pierre Dupont, the owner of the giant DuPont chemical concern and General Motors, the leading US automobile corporation.

The building was to be located on the site of the obsolete old Waldorf Astoria Hotel, at the intersection of West 34th Street and busy Fifth Avenue. Preparations for construction and digging of a foundation pit for the foundation of the tallest building in New York began in January 1930, and, in fact, construction began on March 17 of the same year, being timed to coincide with one of the most popular American holidays - St. Patrick's Day.

The Empire State Building was built by more than 4,000 workers, mostly newcomers to the United States from a number of European countries. Also, together with them, representatives of the Mohawk Indians (or “Mohawks”), who traditionally do not experience fear of heights, worked as high-altitude fitters. Construction work on the construction of a skyscraper was distinguished by a rather high industrial injury rate. Five accidents ended in death.

The Empire State Building was built very quickly, it took only 1 year and a month and a half to complete it. The building was commissioned on May 1, 1931. Construction cost 40 million dollars (in the prices of the 31st year).

One of the most noteworthy moments was the fact that the Empire State Building was the first skyscraper in history with more than a hundred floors. Together with the spire, it is 443 meters high (381 meters without the spire), it has one hundred and two floors. For forty-one years it was the tallest building not only in America, but in the whole world. In 1972, it was overtaken in height by the towers of the World Trade Center. However, tragic events September 2001, associated with a terrorist attack on these towers, returned the Empire State Building to the first position in New York.

The skyscraper has 6,500 windows with an area of ​​more than two hectares, the total area of ​​​​the premises of the building is about 250,000 square meters. Employees working in the building and visitors can use 73 elevators.

The architectural style to which the Empire State Building belongs is Art Deco. This style was very characteristic of the USA in the 30s, especially for high-rise buildings. The name of the skyscraper comes from the playful nickname "Empire State" ("Empire State"), given by the Americans to the state of New York.

Basically, the Empire State Building is occupied by office space (85 floors). Floors 86 and 102 are specially designed for tourists, there are platforms for viewing the city. The building has special category in the US postal classification, it is even assigned a separate postal zip code.

The total number of employees in the Empire State Building (Empire State Building) - more than twenty thousand. Of all the office buildings in the United States in terms of usable space, it holds the second place, second only to the Pentagon.

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The largest city in the United States has more than five thousand skyscrapers. Only in New York could an office building become a historical landmark. The guise of the American metropolis is giant skyscrapers, and this building does its job well. The Empire State Building is the unshakable symbol of the Big Apple and one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in the world. If you like to travel and explore unusual architectural heritage, then this building will find something to surprise you with.

Today, the Empire State Building (ESB) is a national monument and a must-see in New York City. More than 130 million people have already visited the observation decks of this building, and this is commensurate with the population of an average country.

Where is the Empire State Building located?

The famous skyscraper adorns Manhattan Island, and its 102 floors are visible for several kilometers. The building is located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th streets, 1 km from Times Square. From 1931-1972, the Empire State Building held the title of the tallest building on the planet until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was built. After the terrorist attack in 2001, the skyscraper again ascended the pedestal, but already as the tallest building in New York.

It is interesting. AT early XXI centuries in the world, and in America itself, many high-rise buildings appeared that surpassed the Empire State Building - the Freedom Tower in New York (104 floors), the Royal Clock Tower in Mecca (120 floors), shanghai tower in Shanghai (128 floors), International commercial center in Hong Kong (118 floors). The tallest building at the moment is the Burj Khalifa, which has 163 floors. The skyscraper opened in 2010.

In 1986, the Empire State Building was listed as national treasures country, and in 2007 the building became the first in the list, as the best solution architecture. The building is owned and operated by W&H Properties.

How to get there

You can get to the famous skyscraper by public transport. If you take the subway, you need to take the 34th Street / Herald Square station on the N, Q, R lines. You can get there by bus - M4, M10, M16, M34. Nearby are Times Square, Museum contemporary art New York, Morgan Library and Museum.

History of creation

In the place where the Empire State Building is now located, John Thompson's farm was located until the 18th century. A spring flowed here, flowing into the Golden Perch Pond - a reservoir and today is located in the area from the high-rise. In the 19th century, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, hosting the social elite of New York, stood here.

At the time of its construction, the building became the first in the world, in which there were over 100 floors, or rather 102. The height of the Empire State Building in New York is 381 m, and with a spire - 443 m. Antennas are installed on the skyscraper, from which television and radio broadcasts are conducted. From the top of the skyscraper, the first experimental television broadcast was conducted on December 22, 1931 - six months after the completion of construction. Today, the spire of the building, as a transmitter, is used by almost all radio and TV channels in the city.

The floodlights that illuminate the Empire State Building with multi-colored lights were recorded back in 1964. The building is painted in honor of holidays and memorable dates - on Presidents' Day, the building glows in red-blue-white colors, on Valentine's Day - red-pink-white, and on St. Patrick's Day - green.

Thousands of tourists visit the building every day. The thing is that there are two observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors. On the first platform you can see the whole of New York, it is more difficult to get to the top floor - the site is smaller and a small number of visitors are allowed there. The skyscraper itself also houses an attraction that simulates flying over the city on the Hudson.

Construction or who became the architect of the Empire State Building

The building was designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm, Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. It was this company that prepared the drawings in a couple of weeks, based on their previous project - the Carew Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio. The plan was created from top to bottom. The main contractors are the Starrett brothers and Eken, and John Raskob financed the construction.

The preparation of materials began on January 22, 1930, and construction began on St. Patrick's Day - March 17 of the same year. 3400 workers participated in the project, most of which was immigrants from Europe, as well as Mohawk foundry Indians from the Canawake Reservation near Montreal. The skyscraper received 102 floors, and the total weight of the structure is 365,000 tons. The construction cost was $41 million.

It is interesting. It is believed that the ESB architects, when they met with investors, heard the question: “How tall can a building be built so that it does not fall?”. The builders understood this hint well - the skyscraper had to be called the most tall skyscraper America, and at the same time the world.

The construction of a skyscraper became part of the competition - the winner received the right to be called tallest building. Wall Street and the Chrysler Building fought for the title. These structures held the title less than a year, as ESB outperformed rivals on the 410th day of construction.

Thanks to the popular nickname of the state of New York, the skyscraper of the Imperial State or the Empire State Building got its name. construction built in 13 months, which is very fast for the first half of the 20th century. For comparison, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were built in seven years.

Opening

The official “going out” of the Empire State Building was solemn: President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington and turned on the lights in the building. Ironically, the lamps on the spire of the skyscraper lit up for the first time on the day of Franklin Roosevelt's victory over Hoover in the November 1932 election.

This time was also marked as the Great Depression. The building became known as the Empty House of the Imperial State, as no one rented office space in the ESB. And the whole thing was not only in a crisis, but also in an uncomfortable location - the metal structure occupied almost the entire inner area. The offices were cramped and looked like little closets. After the building was reconstructed, creating modern comfortable rooms in it. The legendary skyscraper penultimate hosts Donald Trump and Hideki Yokoi sold for $57.5 million in 2002. The new owner of the skyscraper is Peter Malkin's real estate company, which manages a couple more historic buildings in New York. Today, the Empire State Building's view of the city of the Big Apple is the most magnificent because of the opportunity to see a circular panorama.

Architectural style

At the beginning of the 20th century, steel frames began to be used for the construction of multi-storey buildings, which had previously been used for the construction of bridges and railway stations. In 1930, the Chrysler Building, with a height of 319 m, received the palm as the tallest building in the city. The building overtook the Bank of Manhattan, which reached a height of 282 m. However, Empire State Building in 1931 overtook everyone- towering over New York at 381 m. The total mass of the structure is 365 thousand tons, and the steel structure has a mass of 59 thousand tons. There are 10 million bricks in the walls.

Due to the increase in the length of the shafts and the speed of passenger elevators, the maintenance of the high-rise building has been simplified. The Empire State Building has 62 elevators arranged in groups. But according to the laws of zoning the territory of the city, high-rise buildings must have narrowed upper floors. To better illuminate the streets, architects began to build skyscrapers that were completely different from the Chicago skyscrapers of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. New style multi-storey buildings combined the motifs of art deco and avant-garde geometricism.

One of interesting places ESB is a spire. The construction has 16 floors, and there is also a dispatcher's hall. The top of the building was going to be used as a pier for airships. The spire received only two airships, and then all were canceled due to the risk of collision. There is also an antenna mast at the top of the structure, which is adorned with illuminations from time to time. Only in the first few years the observation deck on the spire visited by several million people. The annual profit was $ 1 million - a significant amount for the era of the Great Depression.

The width of the Empire State Building depended on ventilation and natural light requirements. Before the installation of powerful air conditioners, the depth of the room from the window to the back wall could not be more than 8.5 m. The building has 6,500 windows connected by vertical steel strips. The outer covering of the walls is made of gray limestone, which is framed with aluminum sheets. The supporting platform has five floors and occupies the entire area of ​​its site. In the center there is a lobby with three floors, and around there are two tiers of shops. Due to the fact that there was no place on the construction site where materials could be folded, they were brought on schedule and immediately lifted up. The construction process was similar to a factory assembly line, which is why it was possible to build a skyscraper in such a short time.

The ESB style is Art Deco created at the International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925. The style is inspired by various historical forms- from culture ancient egypt before the development of the Maya. Art Deco is characterized by the use of new materials - chrome steel, glass and plastic. In their reviews, tourists note that the architecture of the Empire State Building is unusual, since all the most interesting is outside.

Empire State Building inside

But what is inside the famous skyscraper, because the building was not built for tourist purposes? ESB is an ordinary high-rise office building, which during the years of construction was called the Empty State Building (empty - empty). The companies were reluctant to occupy the premises, but this soon changed due to the redesign of the interior. Just 10-15 years ago, small firms were the main tenants of 100 m2 offices. Today, entire floors are occupied by large companies thanks to the colossal reconstruction of the interior halls.

• it is more convenient to climb to the upper floors of the Empire State Building by elevator, but some try to master the stairs of 1860 steps. This could very well be a workout, as once a year the building hosts a competition for the fastest climb. The winner is awarded one million dollars. The office space accommodates 15 thousand people, and the elevator transports 10 thousand passengers in one hour;
• Empire State is not just an office, but entertainment for tourists. In the lobby, 30 meters long and three stories high, there is a giant panel depicting the eight wonders of the world. Naturally, one of them is the Empire State Building itself. There is a Guinness Hall of Records, where information about unusual achievements and record holders is stored;
• On July 28, 1945, the plane crashed into a building. It was a B-25 bomber that flew in between the 79th and 80th floors. The disaster claimed the lives of 11 people;
  more than 35 thousand tourists visit the skyscraper every year, and more than 50 thousand people work in the building itself.

Opening hours

The Empire State Building is open to the public from 8 am to 2 am. The last ascent takes place at 1.15 am. There is an observatory on the 86th floor, from where you can see amazing city panoramas from a height of 320 m. On average, they spend about an hour on the observation decks, but the visit time is not limited in any way.

Ticket prices

Since the opening of the observatory in 1931, more than 110 million people have visited the building. Accordingly, there are long lines in front of the entrance. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance to avoid the string of tourists. There is a standard version of the city pass that allows you to visit the observation platform on the 86th floor and an audio guide. The entrance fee to the site on the 86th floor costs $32, and if the express without queues - $55. You can also visit the 102nd floor for $52 and $75 without waiting.

What to see nearby

If visiting the famous skyscraper is not enough, then you can look at the sights nearby. The list below will help you have a good time:

• . The city on the Hudson is one of the most famous and largest parks in the world. Central Park is located in Manhattan on an area of ​​3.4 km2. 25 million people come here every year. Hotels are located opposite the park, so it is convenient to combine a walk and not break away from your planned activities;
• . The sports complex, which is located on Eighth Avenue. This is a multifunctional building, which is used for more than 300 days a year for various events. It hosts New York Knicks basketball games and New York Rangers hockey tournaments, concerts and performances. During hockey matches, the hall can accommodate 18,200 people, and during concerts, 2,000 visitors;
• . The pride of America, which rises above New York on Liberty Island near Manhattan. For more than 100 years, the symbol of democracy has been meeting and seeing off hundreds of ships in the harbor of the Big Apple. It is an interesting attraction for tourists and a beacon of freedom for Americans;
• . One of the oldest hanging structures in the country, which was the longest in the world until 1903. For the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, steel slings were used for the first time. The main span over the East River is 487 m long, and the total length is almost 2 km.

New York is built up with metal giants that turn into symbols of the city. The sights of the city on the Hudson skillfully combine historical art forms and modern technologies. The Empire State Building is a must-see, as it says in every tourist brochure. Do you consider the skyscraper to be a real landmark of New York?