The Empire State Building is one of the tallest and well-known buildings in the world. The building is located in New York and is a major tourist attraction to people who go there. The building is home to shops, restaurants, and 880 office tenants.
The purpose of the Empire State Building is to serve as an office. The building has 880 tenants, restaurants, and shops. The 86th floor has an observation deck and at the top of the building there are broadcasting and telecommunications facilities. Doctors, lawyers, dentists, travel agencies, men's and women's clothing, fashion accessories, architects, engineers, and computer services are just a few of the businesses that are used in the office tenants.
For shops and stores in the Empire State Building there are drug stores, clothing stores, banks, souvenir shops, and a foreign currency exchange shop. There are American, Japanese, and pizza restaurants in the building including a couple coffee shops. The broadcasting facility was first used in 1931 when NBC started to test their broadcasts from the top of the Empire State Building. In 1941 NBC operated the first TV station. Radio started broadcasting from the Empire State Building in 1965.
The firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon Associates designed the Empire State Building. Starrett Brothers and Ekin were the general contractors. It is rumored that the designers held up a pencil and wondered how tall a building could be in that shape. In 1930, the building was started in the center of Manhattan, 34th Street and 5th Avenue.
Between 2,500 and 4,000 men worked on the construction each day. The building took one year and forty-five days to build. The Empire State Building was opened on May 1st, 1931. The area of the site is 79,288 square feet. The foundation is 55 feet underneath the ground. The lobby is 47 feet above sea level. There are a total of 102 floors. The building is 1,453 feet tall.
The Empire State Building is the 2nd tallest building in the United States of America and the 5th in the world. On July 28, 1945, an Army Air Force B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building. The plane hit between the 79th and 80th floors. Fourteen people lost their lives from the accident. Damage costs were one million dollars but the main structure was not affected much. This was because the Empire State Building exterior is built with steel, limestone, brick, marble, and has many interior support beams. Another reason that there was not much damage was that there was not a lot of fuel in the plan because it was near its destination and the plane was small. The entire building is a lightning rod.
Another fact is that lightning will strike the top and will be dissipated by the steel structure into the ground. On a clear day, you can see for about 80 miles. You can see into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Over 15,000 people work in the offices at the Empire State Building and between 10,000 and 20,000 people walk in the building to go to shops or the office tenants.
An interesting thing that is on the building is the decoration of lights. The lights on the building are coordinating to current events like holidays or the seasons. For example, the building is covered in green and red lights during the Christmas season and red, white, and blue on Independence Day. During migratory seasons for birds, however, the lights will be turned off because birds are attracted by the lights and might fly into the building, which would get the birds killed.
In conclusion, the Empire State Building is not only a part of New York it is part of the world. The building may be home to many businesses, but it is also a huge tourist attraction. It has captivated its visitors since it was built and continues to do so today.
