How Tall Is The Iconic Empire State Building In New York?

An art-deco skyscraper in midtown Manhattan in the New York City of the United States is the 102 story Empire State Building which was at one point in time was the world's tallest building.

Designed by Steve, Lamb, and Harmon, this Manhattan building re-wrote the history with a groundbreaking record of just one year and 45 days to conclude the construction of this architectural marvel.

The nickname of the New York City, ‘Empire State’ is etched to the building; adding to the prestige and stature of the tower. With a roof height of 1,250 ft (381 m) and a total of 1,454 ft (443.1 m) including the antenna, the tower was the world’s tallest building till 1970.

The world's tallest building in midtown Manhattan was pushed to second with the construction of the World Trade Centre in 1970. With the latter’s collapse in 2001, the Empire State Building again rose to the position of the tallest structure until 2012. Presently, the Empire State Building is the seventh-tallest in the city of New York, the ninth tallest skyscraper in the US, and the sixth-tallest in the Americas.

Read along to find some interesting facts on the art deco skyscraper that would leave you gazing at the sky! Afterward, also check the New York Statue of Liberty facts and facts about the New York colony.

How many floors are there in the Empire State Building?

The Empire State Building has 102 stories.

• Its antenna was added in 1950, further heightening the structure.
• The 86th and 102nd floors are open to the public, for they have observation decks.
• With a floor area of 2,248,355 sq ft (208,879 sq m), this massive tower has a height of 1454 ft (443.1 m).

How long did it take to build the Empire State Building?

How much time do you think the Empire State Building would have taken to stand as the tallest building in the world once? This would definitely blow your mind!

• It took just one year and 45 days to complete this towering building.
• In Midtown South, to the west of Fifth Avenue, between the West 33rd and 34th streets, there once lied the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel built-in 1893. After Empire State Inc. acquired the site in 1929, they launched plans to build a skyscraper there.
• The design of the building kept changing fifteen times to make sure it’s the tallest building in the world.
• In spite of this, they could complete the construction in a year and 45 days by commencing on March 17, 1930, and wrapping up by May 1, 1931.
• Soon, the building acquired huge public prominence but failed to acquire profits owing to the crisis of the Great Depression and Second World War. With the revival of the economy in the early '50s, the owners could reap profits by attracting several offices.

What is inside the Empire State building?

Inside the Empire State Building, there are several offices and observation decks. Observation decks are circular compact rooms that give the best view of the city.

• The interiors of the building are mostly taken up by office spaces. With the completion of the construction, the Great Depression had already struck the city and created havoc on its economy. As a result, the building was empty with no offices to use up the space.
• The economic boom revived and the spaces began to be occupied by offices as the depression subsided.
• Presently, the building is crammed with large and small companies and over 20,000 employees spend their working hours here, enjoying the delighting view of the glamorous city from the building's interior!

Empire State Building Observation Deck

The observation decks occupy the 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors of the building and are packed with tourists to capture the captivating view of the city. These are the highest points opened to the public.

• An observation deck is a circular and compact room designed for tourists. It was designed as a docking point for the airships and owing to safety concerns, the plan was dropped. It was one of the highest vantage points in New York City, until World Trade Centre and subsequently, other buildings took up the position.
• The 86th observation deck is the most popular of all and over 100 million are recorded to have visited the observatory adding to its popularity as an observatory in the world. The 86th observation deck is the largest of all and can accommodate more people than others.

Tourism Facts About The Empire State Building

You might wonder, how a tower turns out to be a tourist spot! Here are some mind-blowing facts about this fascinating skyscraper.

• The art deco architecture, height, observation decks, and legacy of the structure make it a popular tourist attraction.
• The 86th and the 102nd-floor bearing observatories are opened to tourists and an estimated four million tourists visit the structure to get a panoramic view of this opulent city. An observation deck was added to the 80th floor in 2019 for the same.
• King Kong; the adventure and action film that won the hearts of filmaholics in 1933 ha sits a shooting site at the Empire State. With a heritage, the tower has undeniably added feathers to the paramount city of New York.
• Its height and length have become the global standard for other buildings in the US.
• It occupied the first rank in the list of America’s Favourite Architecture, brought out by the American Institue of Architects in 2007.
• It was also added as a National Historic Landmark to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Horrifying Facts About The Empire State Building

The inauguration of the building was much dramatic! Then-President Herbert Hoover symbolically pressed a button from Washington DC, while lights were turned on inside the building.

• A North American B25 bomber aircraft had accidentally bumped into the 79th floor of the building in 1945, taking the lives of 14 people.
• The building has so many peculiarities. One such is that a couple can get married on the 80th floor of the building and get into the Empire State Building Wedding Club. They are also gifted with free entry to the observation decks during their anniversaries.
• The lightning rod on the top of the building is said to have withstood over 100 lightning strikes a year.
• The building was built in a short span of one year and 45 days and the budget to meet the construction was around 40 million USD.
• The architecture employed in the building is not really unique. The building was constructed by reviving the old designs of the Reynold building, which was a skyscraper built-in 1929 in North Carolina.
• The Empire State Building has its own zip code which is 10118!

History Of The Empire State Building

The building of the Empire State marks the explosion of commercial real estate following the First World War and the economic boom that the US witnessed in the late '20s.

• The site of the Empire State Building previously held the 16 storied Waldorf Astoria hotel-the largest hotel of the times, owned by John Jacob Astor of the Astor family since the 1820s was sold to Bethlehem Engineering Corporation in 1938 for $14-16 million.
• With the affluent class moving to the uptown of the city, the Astor family decided to build a replacement hotel there. The hotel was closed in May 1929 to kick off the construction of another remarkable tower for the New Yorkers that rose to one of the iconic skyscrapers in the world.
• Did you know that before the ground floor was finalized, construction of almost 30 stories was already completed in the Empire State Building!

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