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Empire State Building

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Empire State Building
Empire State Building (aerial view).jpg
Seen from the air, 2012
Record height
Tallest in the world from 1931 to 1970[I]
Preceded by Chrysler Building
Surpassed by World Trade Center(North Tower)
General information
Status Complete
Type Office building; observation deck
Architectural style Art Deco
Location 350 Fifth Avenue
Manhattan, New York 10118[a]
Construction started March 17, 1930; 88 years ago[1]
Completed April 11, 1931; 87 years ago[2]
Opening May 1, 1931; 87 years ago[3]
Cost $40,948,900[4]
($534 million in 2016 dollars[5])
Owner Empire State Realty Trust
Height
Architectural 1,250 ft (381.0 m)[6]
Tip 1,454 ft (443.2 m)[6]
Roof 1,250 ft (381.0 m)[6]
Top floor 1,224 ft (373.1 m)[6]
Observatory 1,224 ft (373.1 m) (102nd floor)
1,050 feet (320 m) (86th floor)[6]
Dimensions
Other dimensions 424 ft (129.2 m) east–west by 187 ft (57.0 m) north–south[7]
Technical details
Floor count 102[6][7][8][b]
Floor area 2,248,355 sq ft (208,879 m2)[6]
Lifts/elevators 73[6]
Design and construction
Architect Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Developer Empire State Inc., including John J. Raskob and Al Smith
Structural engineer Homer Gage Balcom
Main contractor Starrett Brothers and Eken
Empire State Building
Empire State Building is located in Manhattan
Empire State Building
Location in New York City[9]
Show map of ManhattanShow map of New York CityShow map of New YorkShow all
Coordinates 40°44′54.36″N73°59′08.36″WCoordinates: 40°44′54.36″N 73°59′08.36″W
NRHP reference # 82001192
Significant dates
Added to NRHP November 17, 1982
Designated NHL June 24, 1986
Designated NYCL May 19, 1981
References
I. ^ Empire State Building at Emporis
[6][10][11]

The Empire State Building is a 102-story[b] Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and completed in 1931, the building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of New York. As of 2017 the building is the 5th-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States and the 28th-tallest in the world. It is also the 6th-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas.

The site of the Empire State Building, located on the west side of Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets, was originally part of an early 18th century farm. In the late 1820s, it came into the possession of the prominent Astor family, with John Jacob Astor's descendants building the Waldorf–Astoria Hotel on the site in the 1890s. By the 1920s, the family had sold the outdated hotel and the site indirectly ended up under the ownership of Empire State Inc., a business venture that included businessman John J. Raskob and former New York governor Al Smith. The original design of the Empire State Building was a for a 50-story office building. However, after fifteen revisions, the final design was for a 86-story 1,250-foot building, with an airship mast on top. This ensured it would be the world's tallest building, beating the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street, two other Manhattan skyscrapers under construction at the time that were also vying for that distinction.

Demolition of the Waldorf–Astoria began in October 1929, and the foundation of the Empire State Building was excavated before demolition was even complete. Construction on the building itself started on March 17, 1930, with an average construction rate of one floor per day. A well-coordinated schedule meant that the 86 stories were topped out on September 19, six months after construction started, and the mast was completed by November 21. From that point, interior work proceeded at a quick pace, and it was opened on May 1, 1931, thirteen and a half months after the first steel beam was erected. Despite the publicity surrounding the building's construction, its owners failed to make a profit until the early 1950s. However, it has been a popular tourist attraction since opening, with around 4 million visitors to the building's 86th and 102nd floor observatories every year.

The Empire State Building stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years until the completion of the World Trade Center's North Tower in Lower Manhattan in late 1970. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, it was again the tallest building in New York until the new One World Trade Center was completed in April 2012.

The Empire State Building is an American cultural icon and has been featured in more than 250 TV shows and movies since the film King Kong was released in 1933. A symbol of New York City, the tower has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Empire State Building and its ground-floor interior have been designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and were confirmed as such by the New York City Board of Estimate. It was also designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, and was ranked number one on the American Institute of Architects' List of America's Favorite Architecture in 2007.