Height rank
Empire State Building
New York City
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- Facts
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Metrics
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Official Name
Empire State Building
Other Names
350 5th Avenue
Type
Building
Status
Completed
Completion
1931
Country
City
Address
Function
A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CVU "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.
Office
Structural Material
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.
All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.
All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.
Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.
Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CVU database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.
All-Steel
Energy Label
LEED Gold
Official Website
Height
381 m / 1,250 ft
Floors Above Ground
102
Floors Below Ground
1
# of Elevators
73
Top Elevator Speed
7.1 m/s
Tower GFA
208,879 m² / 2,248,355 ft²
Rankings
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By function
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By material
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Construction Schedule
Construction Start
Completed
Retrofit Start
Other Consultant
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Material Supplier
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Retrofit Companies Involved
Structural Engineer
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Project Manager
The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
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Owner
Empire State Realty Trust; Qatar Investment Authority
W&H Properties
Developer
Alfred E. Smith; John J. Raskob
Architect
Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates
Structural Engineer
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Post and McCord; H.G. Balcom & Associates
MEP Engineer
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Strong & Jones Engineers
Contractor
The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
Starrett Brothers and Ekin
Other Consultant
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Material Supplier
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Dow Corning Corporation; Sika Services AG
Retrofit Companies Involved
Developer
Empire State Realty Trust
Structural Engineer
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Project Manager
The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.
Other Consultant
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
ColeNYC
Johnson Controls
Wordsearch
CANY
Rocky Mountain Institute
Material Supplier
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Allen Architectural Metals
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About Empire State Building
As the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1971, the Empire State Building is the ancestor of all supertall skyscrapers and makes a lasting impression in the minds of all who have stood beneath, or atop, this international icon. Among the accolades and achievements that this tower claims, perhaps the most impressive is that it took less than 14 months to construct, a timeline that is unimaginable for a building of similar height today. Marveling at the ability of steel-framed buildings to support added weight, architects tested the material at a supreme scale. The art deco style of the building is appropriately capped with an ornamental spire, one that urban legend claims was designed as an anchorage point for dirigibles, but was actually built to ensure the building would be taller than the Chrysler Building. With its thousands of programmable LED lights, it has become one of the most memorable features of the building.
As part of its total redevelopment for 21st Century companies, in 2009 a $106 million energy efficiency retrofit was launched, which has transformed it into one of the most sustainable buildings in the world of any age. These upgrades realize a yearly savings of $4.4 million in energy and operational costs. The retrofit ranged from upgrades to efficient MEP systems to the reconstruction of all 6,514 windows into units that have 400% the thermal performance of normal dual pane windows; from the installation of redundant fiber optics building-wide to the creation of new public areas and amenities; and more. The Empire State Building remains a ground-breaking office property in the national and global real estate market. It was the tallest LEED certified building in the United States when it was awarded the designation in 2011. Not once, but twice has this building shown the world new possibilities in the tall building world: first, with its achievement in sheer height and speed of construction, and second, with its rebirth as a sustainable building. It will continue to be a prime example of how a world-class tower can continue to maintain its iconic status in a changing world.
Quick Facts
- Tallest building in the world 1931 - 1972. Preceded by the Chrysler Building and surpassed by One World Trade Center
- On July 28, 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed into the north side of the building between the 79th and 80th floors, killing 14 people.
- Featured in dozens of films, most notably; "King Kong" in 1933 and 2005.
- It took just under 15 months from January 1930 to May 1931 to construct.
Global News
19 October 2020
Restoration of Art Deco New York City Skyscraper Nears Completion
New York City’s skyline is forever adapting, thrusting ever higher upwards as a jostling amalgam of evolving styles and forms. Although surpassed in height by...
19 April 2019
New Legislation Limits Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Buildings in New York City
New York City is about to embark on an ambitious plan to fight climate change that would force thousands of large buildings, like the Empire...
21 January 2019
“Tower Fifth” Could Become New York City’s Second-Tallest
For decades, the New York City skyline was dominated by one building, the 1,250-foot-tall (381-meter) Empire State Building. But 17 “supertall” skyscrapers — defined as...
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