Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-storey Art Deco skyscraper at 350 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Completed in 1931 after just 410 days of construction, it stood as the world’s tallest building for 40 years. Today it remains one of the most visited and recognised structures on earth, a National Historic Landmark and a defining monument of 20th-century architecture and American ambition.
At a glance
- Type
- Commercial office skyscraper with public observation decks
- Period
- Construction March 1930 – April 1931; opened May 1, 1931
- Style
- Art Deco
- Location
- 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10118, USA
- Coordinates
- 40.7484° N, 73.9857° W
- Architects
- Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
- Height
- 443 m (1,454 ft) to roof/antenna tip; 381 m (1,250 ft) to roof
Overview
The Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building from 1931 until 1970, when the World Trade Center’s North Tower surpassed it. Its construction during the Great Depression at a cost of roughly $41 million made it a symbol of resilience and ambition. The building is now a mixed-use commercial tower with two public observation decks, visited by approximately 4 million people annually.
History
The site at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue previously hosted the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, demolished in 1929 for the skyscraper project. Developer John J. Raskob and former New York Governor Al Smith commissioned Shreve, Lamb and Harmon to produce a design capable of exceeding the Chrysler Building, then under construction nearby. At the height of competition, the architects reportedly stacked pencils to visualise how to gain extra floors. The steel frame rose at the astonishing rate of four and a half storeys per week, employing up to 3,400 workers daily.
What you see
The building rises in a series of setback tiers dictated by the 1916 New York Zoning Resolution, creating the characteristic stepped silhouette that has defined the Midtown skyline for nearly a century. The limestone and granite facade is accented with aluminium spandrels and Art Deco ornamental details at the lobby and base. The 86th-floor observation deck offers an open-air terrace; the 102nd-floor observatory sits inside the mooring mast. The broadcast tower atop the building was added in 1953 and still carries major New York television and FM radio signals.
Cultural significance
The Empire State Building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and was voted the favourite building in America by the American Institute of Architects in 2007. Its image has appeared in hundreds of films — most famously in King Kong (1933) — making it a global cultural touchstone as much as a feat of engineering. The building’s illuminated top is changed seasonally and for civic events, making it a living calendar of New York public life.
Practical information
Both the 86th-floor and 102nd-floor observation decks are open to the public daily, including most holidays. Timed tickets are strongly recommended to avoid queues; purchase in advance via the official website. The Art Deco lobby is accessible during building hours at no charge. Check the official Empire State Building website for current admission prices and hours.
Getting there
The building is served by multiple subway lines at 34 Street–Herald Square (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W lines) one block west, and at 33 Street (6 train) one block east. The nearby Penn Station (1, 2, 3, A, C, E, and LIRR/NJT/Amtrak) is a 5-minute walk on 34th Street. Numerous crosstown and north–south bus routes stop along Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.