4 minute read
Empire State Building
by Hiba Dweib
TECHNOLOGY
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The Empire State Building
How this US icon came to tower over New York City
With 103 fl oors and a 56-metre (185-foot) spire, the Empire State Building is an incredible 443.2 metres (1,454 feet) high. The world’s tallest skyscraper when it was opened on 1 May 1931, it pipped New York’s beautiful 319-metre (1,046-foot) Chrysler Building to the record and held onto it until 1970, when New York City saw the World Trade Centre spring from the pavement. They certainly build them big in the Big Apple and for 40 years, the Empire State Building was the biggest of them all.
The invention of steel framing in the late-19th century had made it possible for buildings to be taller than ever. While brick would eventually collapse under its own weight if you piled on too many fl oors, a honeycomb-like frame of steel beams could take the strain and spread the pressure of the upper fl oors throughout the building. Another 19th-century development – the elevator – raised the limit on how many storeys you could put on a building, for the simple reason that you can’t expect someone to walk up 102 fl ights of stairs.
Construction began in March 1930. Financed by two former General Motors executives, John J Raskob and Pierre S du Pont, they applied the same revolutionary style of working that they’d used in the factory, with assembly lines of men putting the building together in shifts. However, without the benefi t of modern cranes and lifting equipment, materials were hoisted up by pulleys and moved around the inside of the building on narrow railway tracks.
As many as 3,500 workers were on the building at once, many of them (known as ‘sky boys’) balancing on beams high above the city with no harnesses or helmets. It would be considered incredibly dangerous and reckless today, but those conditions were accepted as part of the job in 1930. After all, only fi ve people died in the 410 days of its construction…
Behind the walls
Everything you need to know about the Empire State Building
Offi ce space
With 1,000 businesses based there, the Empire State Building is the second-largest offi ce space in the US after the Pentagon.
Foundations
The Empire State Building’s concrete foundations extend 16.7m (55ft) below ground. The ‘sky boys’ put their lives on the line
Elevators
Originally there were 64 elevators in the central core of the building, but there are now 73 in total.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning was installed in 1950. It has since been upgraded to conserve energy. The Empire State Building is one of New York’s most easily spotted landmarks
DID YOU KNOW? The Empire State owns the longest survived elevator fall after Betty Lou Oliver plummeted 75 storeys in 1945
Television mast
The spire is used to broadcast nearly all of New York’s TV and FM radio stations.
Observation deck
The 102nd Floor Observation Deck is the highest and smallest lookout point, offering 360-degree views of New York City.
Water supply
While most buildings store water on their roof, the Empire State Building has water tanks spread throughout and connected by 113km (70mi) of pipe.
Steel frame
7,000 tons of steel T-frames and beams llow the Empire State Building to take its own weight. The entire frame was encased in concrete for extra strength.
Beautiful shapes
Although not as stylish as the Chrysler Building, the Empire State is an example of the architectural style known as Art Deco. Prominent in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, Art Deco is recognised by its bold geometric shapes, symmetrical design and ornate decorations.
The Empire State Building’s most prominent Art Deco features are the ‘setbacks’, where levels of the building become narrower the higher it goes, with overlaps between the small parts and larger parts. Because they look like steps, they’re also called ‘stepbacks’ and give the Empire State its instantly recognisable shape. Angular sculptures can be found over the entrances, but its inside was where the decorations were at their most impressive with a gold-leaf mural on the lobby ceiling, marble walls and fl oors, and Art Deco chandeliers.
Limestone panels
The outside of the skyscraper is covered in panels of Indiana Limestone, behind them are 10 million bricks.
The Empire State Building is the world’s most famous Art Deco building
Windows
Did you know there are 6,500 windows in the Empire State Building? That’s a lot of cleaning!
Entrance
The main entrance has a 9.1m (30ft) high frontage with diamond-shaped frames of glass and two carved eagles on pillars.
How does the Empire State Building size up? 828m (2,717ft) 632m (2,073ft)
601m (1,971ft)
541.3m (1,776ft) 509m (1,670ft) 492m (1,614ft) 484m (1,588ft) 452m (1,483ft) 442m (1,450ft) 443m (1,454ft)
