New York's tallest building turns 75 today. The Empire State Building continues to command respect and attract tourists in the thousands daily. Perhaps no other manmade object has so symbolized the great American ambition than this steel-&-concrete behemoth.
It was about ambition even before it was constructed in 1930 and officially declared open on May 1, 1931. In the 1920s it appeared as drawings commissioned by the then governor of New York Al Smith and the chief executive of General Motors John J. Raskob. Both these men wanted the building to be the world's tallest. Interestingly, rival auto maker Chrysler was also planning to build the world's tallest building. So Raskob and Smith waited until Chrysler's building was nearing the end of construction. They then started work on the Empire State Building with a clear plan about its height – the tallest building in the world.
Although the construction work began during the great Depression of the 1930s, the work progressed at a record pace. Employing 3,500 workers, they built four floors per week and completed the total construction of 102 stories and a total height of 1,454 feet, in just 1 year and 45 days – a world record unrivalled to date.
The construction of this urban monument was no less impressive and humongous. Limestone for the building was obtained from a quarry in Indianapolis. (The site is still known as the Empire State Building Quarry.) The huge quantity of materials required the team of engineers to design a special transport system for the site. A rail line was built around the site to ensure uninterrupted delivery of materials. Although the building has been through good times and bad, it remains a testament to the ingenuity and engineering skills of the people entrusted with the job.
Its status as the world's tallest building was challenged in 1972 by the World Trade Centers that dominated the NY skyline until the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, the Empire State Building is the second-tallest in the US and the ninth-tallest in the world.
For many film-makers from around the world the Empire State Building is “quintessential New York”, especially when they want an establishing shot to show the scene is set in NY. It has featured in 90 movies which include Hollywood hits such as 'An Affair to Remember', 'Sleepless in Seattle', 'Independence Day', 'Manhattan' and 'King Kong'.
Its 75th birthday will be celebrated with white lights that will glow on the monument from dusk to dawn for one whole week starting today.
