Empire State Building skyscraper
Empire State Building (Empire State Building) is the largest high-rise building in New York City and the third tallest skyscraper in the United States. This majestic skyscraper tops the list of America’s most popular landmarks and is considered one of the most visited attractions in Manhattan.
Video: Empire State Building
vid% Contents- Highlights
- History of construction
- Architectural features
- Interior of the Empire State Building
Tourist attraction - Tips before visiting the skyscraper
- Interesting facts about the skyscraper
- How to get there
Highlights
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Construction History
The first half of the last century was spent in New York City under the motto “Who can erect the tallest skyscraper?”. From 1913 for 27 years, the palm of supremacy belonged to the Woolwalt Building. This building had 57 floors and reached a height of 241 meters. Then the leader was the 70-story Trump Building, located at 40 Wall Street. It rose into the sky at 282.5 meters. 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 already 320 m.
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The designers of the new high-rise faced a daunting task. They needed to create more than just a new champion. They wanted a building that would become a legend.
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The architect William Lamb, who had already designed the Reynolds Building and the Carew Tower, led the design work. John Raskob, a well-known financier and businessman, and Pierre DuPont, who was also one of the heads of America’s largest chemical concern, DuPont, and the automobile manufacturing giant General Motors, undertook to invest in the massive construction.
The site of the new skyscraper will be located in the center of the building.
The site for the new record-breaking skyscraper was chosen at the intersection of West 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. At that time there was an old hotel “Waldorf-Astoria” (Waldorf – Astoria). It consisted of two buildings, which were connected by a wide hallway. Both buildings were erected in the 90s of the XIX century by the project of New York architect Henry J. Hardenberg. And the Esther family owned the hotel.
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When it was decided to build a huge skyscraper, they began to build a new building for the hotel on Fifth Avenue. In the late fall of 1929, the old hotel began to be demolished, and more than 16,000 truckloads of broken bricks and stone debris were removed.
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On the day the Empire State Building officially opened, President Herbert Hoover ceremonially turned on the lights in the new skyscraper and did so directly from the White House. And all of the architects involved in the design were honored with various honors.
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However, the Great Depression was still going on, and it was not possible to recover the money spent on the construction of the new skyscraper until 1948. All this time, an important source of income was the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, which was visited by up to 3.5 million people annually. Most of the office space remained vacant for a long time, so the citizens initially called the new skyscraper Empty.
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Empire State Building interior
The internal layout was determined more by a fixed budget and short construction time than by any architectural sophistication, so the rooms created strictly adhered to the settings created in the project – no more than 8.53 meters from windows to corridors. Such dimensions were necessary to ensure that all offices have the right level of lighting.
.In order for employees and visitors to get to any floor of the building, 73 high-speed elevators have been installed, which can be used to reach the 80th floor within one minute. Those who want to get to the topmost floor on foot will have to climb 1,860 steps.
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The location of the elevators and the fixed sizes of the office spaces determined the entire configuration of the Empire State Building skyscraper and the arrangement of its ledges. The size of the floors decreases with height, and the number of elevators also decreases. Thus, the tallest building in the city turned out to be very functional.
.Tourist attraction
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There are two large observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building especially for tourists. The upper platform is smaller and does not have a full view.
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The observation deck on the 86th floor is attractive because it has a full 360° panorama. It can be reached on foot, by climbing a staircase of more than 1,500 steps, or by elevator. From here you can see the city streets and high-rises of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, green islands of parks and the Strait. A good view of the city can be from the platform and when the sun shines and at night. Conveniently, all the sights seen from above are marked on a diagram placed on the observation deck.
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In addition, on the second floor of the Empire State Building skyscraper there is a special tourist attraction that simulates flying over the city – “New York Skyride”. This simulator is very popular among visitors of New York and especially those who travel with children. For 25 minutes of “flight” you have to pay $52. The entrance to the attraction is on the side of 33rd Street and is open from 8.00 to 22.00 all year round.
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In 1964, during the World’s Fair, floodlights were installed on the Empire State Building skyscraper, illuminating its top with white light. Twelve years later, the decorative illumination was made colored. And today on major holidays and anniversaries the building is illuminated in different colors: red, orange and yellow 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 perform a marriage ceremony in the high-rise building each year.
.Tips before visiting a skyscraper
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You can also purchase a City Pass at travel agencies. This is a tour of New York City with the right to visit six major city attractions. In this case, a visit to the Empire State Building is possible at a reduced price.
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You can find quite a few firms on the internet offering to visit the famous skyscraper. However, they do not sell tickets, but vouchers. And you will have to spend time to exchange these vouchers for real tickets.
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How to get there
The Empire State Building skyscraper stands in central Manhattan. You need to take the N, Q, P subway lines to the 34th Street/Herald Square station. If using ground public transportation, the skyscraper can be reached by buses M4, M10, M16, and M34.
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