The Empire State Building, the world’s most famous office building, will celebrate its 80th anniversary on Sunday, May 1, 2011. Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building has served as one of the most recognizable and beloved attractions. The building has accomplished many milestones over the last 80 years, and today it stands tall as a 21st Century icon.
Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Building Company, stated, “On this significant anniversary, the Empire State Building celebrates 80 years of being an international symbol of innovation and ingenuity.” He added, “Through an award-winning renovations and modernization project, the world’s most famous office building offers unmatched experiences for both its tenants and the millions who visit the Observatories each year.”
To connect with the global ESB community, in 2010 the building launched a newly designed website, www.esbnyc.com, as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/EmpireStateBuilding) and Twitter pages (@ESBObservatory).
Building Facts:
From the feat of its engineering, to the innumerable references in pop culture, beloved tower lights and countless celebrity visitors, the building has a multitude of interesting facts from 1931 onwards.
* ESB took only one year and 45 days to build or 7 million man-hours, a record to this day for a skyscraper of its height.
* ESB is the tallest building in New York at exactly 1,454 feet, 8 9/166 inches (443.2 meters) to the top of its lightening rod/antenna.
* The exterior of the Empire State Building is composed of 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone and granite, 10,000,000 bricks and 730 tons of aluminum and stainless steel.
* The building is the center of New York City’s broadcasting operations; the skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market.
* On the clearest of days, visibility from the Observatory is 80 miles, with five states in view: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
* ESB has been featured in some of the most famous movies, including “King Kong,” “An Affair to Remember,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”
* ESB is one of the most celebrity-visited landmarks in the world, attracting the likes of Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Justin Bieber, Roger Federer, Lauren Bacall, Rihanna, the cast of “Glee,” Penelope Cruz, Celine Dion, Mario Batali and the Victoria’s Secret Angels, to name just a few.
* ESB is home to marquee, international tenants, including Skanska; Coty, Inc.; the FDIC; and Li & Fung.