In an event between John Jakob Raskob (General Motors) and Walter Chrysler (Chrysler Corp.) seeing who could build the tallest building the birth of the Empire State Building emerged, during the depression. March 17, 1930 construction began on the Empire State Building. The architects for the project were Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates. The labor was about 3,000 men the project was finished in a year. It was actually ahead of schedule.[1] “The building itself cost $24,718,000 to build (nearly half the expected cost because of the Great Depression). Including the property on which the building sits, the total cost for the Empire State Building was $40,948,900 [2].”
Designed in the Art Deco style the Empire State Building was actually designed in the 1920’s, however on St. Patrick’s Day of 1930 construction to this building brought hope and jobs to Americans. On May 1, 1931 President Hoover officially turned on the lights to the building. The building has 102 floors, and stands 1252 feet, 381 meters high. [3] The building's sleek limestone and stainless steel design rises in a stunning series of setbacks ending with a bold seven-hundred foot tower. In 1950, the addition of a television antenna added another 225 feet to the building. [4]
The Empire State Building was the tallest until 1972 when the north tower of the World Trade Center was constructed, later then followed the Sears Tower. However, the terrorist attacks on 9-11 destroyed the world trade center leaving New York and the rest of the country devastated. In term the Empire State Building is again the tallest building in New York City, however second tallest in America. The first use of the lights atop the Empire State Building was the celebration of the election for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Empire State Building has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. There are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor. It has a total floor area of approximately 2,768,591 square feet (257,000 m²). The base of the Empire State Building is about 2 acres (0.8 ha). The building houses 1,000 businesses, and has its own zip code. As of 2007, approximately 20,000 employees work in the building each day, making the Empire State Building the second largest single office complex in America, after the Pentagon. Its original sixty-four elevators are located in a central core. Today, the Empire State Building has 73 elevators in all, including service elevators. It takes less than one minute by elevator to get to the 86th floor, where an observation deck is located. The building has 70 miles (113 km) of pipe and 2,500,000 feet (760,000 m) of electrical wire. [4]
After all these years why are we still drawn to this building? Is it the mass attention it gets in movies like King Kong. The history and pride the Empire State Building has completes New York. It is sad to say the Twin Towers are gone however the “Big Apple” wouldn’t be the same if the sky line was empty of this monumental piece of architecture. This wonder of the world built in a year, rising high 2,500,000 feet into the air sums up our addiction. It is impossible to view the Empire State Building and not wonder how was it done? The Commodity and frequent business leasing space is forever changing along with the colors that gleam off it when it lights up the night. The Firmness of this giant piece of architecture is still standing tall. The Delight one gets when they approach this monstrous tower reaching towards heaven is unexplainable. In conclusion The Empire State Building is a great piece of architecture and is well spent the attention to detail and prolonging praise.
1.”History.“ Empire State Building Official Site. 5 May 2009
2. About.com:20th Century History. About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. 8 April 2009. [http://history1900s.about.com/].
3. “Empire State Builiding.” Great Buildings.com. 5 May 2009
4. “Empire State Building.” New York Architecture Images.
Designed in the Art Deco style the Empire State Building was actually designed in the 1920’s, however on St. Patrick’s Day of 1930 construction to this building brought hope and jobs to Americans. On May 1, 1931 President Hoover officially turned on the lights to the building. The building has 102 floors, and stands 1252 feet, 381 meters high. [3] The building's sleek limestone and stainless steel design rises in a stunning series of setbacks ending with a bold seven-hundred foot tower. In 1950, the addition of a television antenna added another 225 feet to the building. [4]
The Empire State Building was the tallest until 1972 when the north tower of the World Trade Center was constructed, later then followed the Sears Tower. However, the terrorist attacks on 9-11 destroyed the world trade center leaving New York and the rest of the country devastated. In term the Empire State Building is again the tallest building in New York City, however second tallest in America. The first use of the lights atop the Empire State Building was the celebration of the election for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Empire State Building has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. There are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor. It has a total floor area of approximately 2,768,591 square feet (257,000 m²). The base of the Empire State Building is about 2 acres (0.8 ha). The building houses 1,000 businesses, and has its own zip code. As of 2007, approximately 20,000 employees work in the building each day, making the Empire State Building the second largest single office complex in America, after the Pentagon. Its original sixty-four elevators are located in a central core. Today, the Empire State Building has 73 elevators in all, including service elevators. It takes less than one minute by elevator to get to the 86th floor, where an observation deck is located. The building has 70 miles (113 km) of pipe and 2,500,000 feet (760,000 m) of electrical wire. [4]
After all these years why are we still drawn to this building? Is it the mass attention it gets in movies like King Kong. The history and pride the Empire State Building has completes New York. It is sad to say the Twin Towers are gone however the “Big Apple” wouldn’t be the same if the sky line was empty of this monumental piece of architecture. This wonder of the world built in a year, rising high 2,500,000 feet into the air sums up our addiction. It is impossible to view the Empire State Building and not wonder how was it done? The Commodity and frequent business leasing space is forever changing along with the colors that gleam off it when it lights up the night. The Firmness of this giant piece of architecture is still standing tall. The Delight one gets when they approach this monstrous tower reaching towards heaven is unexplainable. In conclusion The Empire State Building is a great piece of architecture and is well spent the attention to detail and prolonging praise.
1.”History.“ Empire State Building Official Site. 5 May 2009
2. About.com:20th Century History. About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. 8 April 2009. [http://history1900s.about.com/].
3. “Empire State Builiding.” Great Buildings.com. 5 May 2009
4. “Empire State Building.” New York Architecture Images.
1 comment:
less descriptive + more analytical...how does the introduction of all the data of the building help support the argument you make about the building...what's the central idea here? certainly height is important, but what about scale, generally? why centralized/symmetrical?
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