On the heels of the roaring 20’s, the Great Depression
soon set in and America’s optimism was at an all-time
low. During this time, America’s labor force was at its
highest supply and the value of the dollar was cut in
half over night. Ironically, it was this combination of
events that made a construction project of this
proportion possible.
Designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural
rm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, the Empire State Building
celebrates the Art Deco movement, exemplifying this
style to the highest degree. Often regarded as the
symbol of American Skyscrapers, a great deal of
thought and consideration was demonstrated during
the 16 redesigns of the building’s design. After all, this
would be the world’s rst building to touch the sky with
over 100 stories.
Built on the previous site of the famous Waldorf Astoria
Hotel, the construction took seven million man hours
and had a feverish pace of 4½ oors per week.
Iron workers erected 60 thousand tons of riveted steel
frames into a series of stacked boxes. They became
known as “Sky-walkers” due to the dizzying heights
they worked at – heights never previously attempted.
On May 1
st
, 1931, the building opened after only 410
days of construction and remained the tallest building
in the world until 1972 when the World Trade Center
opened. The building is a member of the “World
Federation of Great Towers” and has been named
one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
Architecture, Engineering and Construction
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General
Weight and Dimensions
