Empire State Building history and how long it took to build this building To judge by Empire State Building history, there are very few landmarks more well-known world wide than the Empire State building address at 350 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The closest rival is France's Eiffel Tower. One question often asked by tourists is, "How long did it take to build the Empire State Building?" Empire State Building history says the short answer is 27 months from architectural concept to completion--the actual construction time was 1 year and 45 days! Empire State Building history says that the first shovelful of dirt that hearalded the excavation for the future 'tallest building in the world' began on January 22, 1930. On March 17, 1930, construction of the frame began and the steel structure rose an average of 4.5 stories a week! 60,000 tons of pre-formed steel were shipped in from Pennsylvania steel mills some 300 miles away and erected on-site. The masonry work began in June and was completed on November 13th of the same year! Empire State Building history says cleverly designed windows added to the speedy construction. Instead of having to dress each limestone block edge, the windows were covered with aluminum edging allowing the rough-cut blocks to be quickly assembled. Since there are 6,400 windows, this was a great time saver! The masonry ends on the 88th floor and glass and aluminum comprise the final 14 floors. Empire State Building history relates that the building?s design was based on the clean lines of a pencil as envisioned by its architect William Lamb. On May 1, 1931, President Hoover officially opened the Empire State Building by pushing a (ceremonial) button in Washington D. C. and turning on its lights! Originally, the roof of this 102-storied ediface was to be a dirigible landing zone with the mast an anchor for the blimps. This plan was deemed impractical after only two landing attempts according to Empire State Building history--winds at that 1,350 foot level were too violent. That area is now the base of the TV antennas currently resident, which top out at 1454 feet. Empire State Building history shares stories of hardship. On July 28, 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber crashed into the 78th and 79th floors on the north side. Credit the builders, despite the 14 deaths and 25 injured, the building remained competent with no major structural damage. High octane fuel ignited and wreaked havoc in several offices, melting glass and fixtures into weird stalactites. Heads of state from many countries have visited this stellar ediface, according to Empire State Building history, and it has been featured in over 90 movies. Nearly 3.5 million people visit the Observation Deck on the 86th floor every year. |
Free New York Photos Royalty free New York pictures taken just for you ! |
