Construction of the Empire State Building began in March 1930 and was completed in 15 months. At 102 stories, it became the tallest building in the world until the first tower of the World Trade Center was completed in 1972.
Some statistics -
- Height: 1,472 feet (448 meters) to top of antennae. 1,250 feet (391 meters) to 102nd floor observatory. 1,050 feet (320 meters) to 86th floor observatory.
- Area of Site: 83,860 square feet.
- Cost: $24,718,000. (expected cost of $50 million did not materialize due to the Great Depression)
- Work Force: 3,400 during peak periods.
- Exterior materials: Indiana limestone and granite, trimmed with aluminum and chrome-nickel steel from the 6th floor to the top.
- Interior lobby: Ceiling high marble, imported from France, Italy, Belgium and Germany.
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"Standing in lonely dignity in the midriff of Manhattan, a sentinel by land, a reassuring landmark by air, the Empire State Building is the
quadri-faced pharo of the city. And until outstripped by the twin towers of the World Trade Center (1975), its 102 floors were the highest in New York. Though designed at the end of the so-called Art Deco period in the 1920s, when zigzagged
appliqués were prominent, its exterior shows little of the frippery characteristic of that 'decorated' period. It is, moreover, one of the very few skyscrapers with four facades, not just one facing the avenue.
"Zoning required several setbacks, but these were given a skillful buildup of scale at the lower levels, while the tower itself rises unflinchingly. Indented setbacks in the center of each of the long sides help lateral scale. An observation platform and a pylon topped by a television transmission antenna crown all."
from G.E.Kidder
Smith: Looking at Architecture. p152. |
