The Empire State Building: New York’s most famous building

The Empire State Building is one of the most iconic buildings in New York City. Standing at approximately 1,454 feet tall, this Art Deco skyscraper was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates in 1930. With 102 stories, it would remain the world’s tallest building for almost 40 years until the completion of the first World Trade Center tower in 1970. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Crobis via Getty Images)

The Empire State Building was originally designed for corporate offices, but because of the 1929 stock market crash and the start of the Great Depression, construction was off to a bad start. The building has less than 25% of its retail space occupied during its opening in 1931, earning its nickname "Empty State Building." It wasn’t until the economy turned around after World War II that made the building become profitable. (Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images)

The establishment of the Empire State Building was a testament to the power of American industry. Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates went through 15 different design changes until construction started in 1930 and was completed on April 11, 1931 – only a year and 45 days later. The skyscraper was modeled after two earlier buildings, North Carolina’s Reynolds Building and the Carew Tower in Cincinnati. The most unusual part of the Empire State Building was the fact that the tower was originally constructed as a docking port for lighter-than-air dirigibles. (Photo by Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images)

In 1946, 15 years after its opening, the Empire State Building had become the headquarters for major organizations, with over 15,000 employees working inside. Today, many businesses call this building home, such as LinkedIn, Shutterstock, Citizen, and HNTB. With over 2.8 million rentable square feet, the Empire State Building even has its own zip code: 10118. (Photo by Irving Browning/The New York Historical Society/Getty Images)

Tourists come from all over the world to see the Empire State Building. It is currently the fourth tallest building in New York City, sixth tallest in the United States, and 43rd tallest in the world. According to its website, the Empire State Building hosts more than four million visitors each year. (Photo by Paul Rovere/Getty Images)

The observatory deck provides a 360-degree view of New York City. On a clear day, you can see six states from the observatories: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware. Reservations are required and tickets are only valid for the date and time selected during your purchase. Tickets are available online at the Empire State Building's website. (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)

The Empire State Building maintains a tradition of changing the color of the lights that illuminate the top of the building to symbolize important occasions, holidays, and events throughout the year. This has been a defining feature of the New York City skyscraper since 1976. Since 2012, the building has used an LED lighting system that can display over 16 million colors. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

The Empire State Building was named the number one attraction by the 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. You can book a 90-minute tour at the building with the choice of a premium experience, sunrise tour, a pass for the 86th and 102nd floors, and more. Book you tickets today to come see the magnificent Modernist Art Deco style that is the Empire State Building. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

The Empire State Building is known as a symbol of New York City and an embodiment of America’s rise to global financial power in the 20th century. Located in Manhattan at 350 Fifth Avenue, on the west side of the avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets, the Empire State Building was built in 1931. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates in 1930 – only taking a year to complete.

The Empire State Building was built to become the world’s tallest building, but did not hold that title for long because in 1970 the World Trade Center was built, standing at approximately 1,776 feet. The construction of the Empire State Building was completed in record-breaking time. In fact, there was another building competing to be the tallest in the world: The Chrysler Building.

The Empire State Building was designed to be a large office complex, but when the stock market crashed in 1929 and the Great Depression rose, it put the building in deep trouble. During this time, the building got its nickname as the "Empty State Building" because less than 25% of its rental space was occupied. During World War II, as the United Sates’ economy grew, the building started to turn a profit as commercial real estate rebounded in the 1950s.