The Empire State Building stands at 1,454 feet tall and boasts 102 stories. It is located between 33rd and 34th streets on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
For nearly four decades, from its completion in 1931 until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was finished in 1970, it held the title of the tallest building in the world.
The American Society of Civil Engineers even recognized it as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and by March 17, construction was fully underway. A workforce of 3,400 people, primarily European immigrants and a significant number of Mohawk ironworkers, were involved in the project.
The building required an enormous amount of materials, including 200,000 cubic feet of limestone, 10 million bricks, and 60,000 tons of steel.
Despite the lack of strict safety regulations at the time, only five workers tragically lost their lives during its construction.
The race to build the tallest building in New York City fueled the construction of the Empire State Building. It competed with 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building. The Chrysler Building briefly held the title of the world’s tallest in 1929, but the Empire State Building surpassed it in 1931. Initially standing at 1,250 feet (381 meters), its iconic spire was intended as a mooring station for airships. In 1950, a 222-foot (68-meter) antenna was added, bringing the total height to 1,472 feet (449 meters). However, in 1985, when the antenna was replaced, the height was adjusted to 1,454 feet (443 meters). By this time, the title of tallest building had passed to One World Trade Center, which opened in 1972.
The construction of the Empire State Building was driven by the rivalry between two influential businessmen, Walter Chrysler of Chrysler Corporation and John Jakob Raskob, a former General Motors executive and financier.
Both men sought to construct the world’s tallest building. Raskob brought together a team of visionaries, including architect William F. Lamb of the firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, to design the building.
The Starrett Brothers and Eken construction company took on the monumental task of building it.
On April 11, 1931, just over a year after work began, the Empire State Building was completed. The photos from its construction provide a remarkable glimpse into this monumental achievement.
The Empire State Building has a long-standing rivalry with the nearby Chrysler Building, both vying for the title of New York City’s most iconic skyscraper.
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