An Urban Icon in America

Photography by David Shankbone

By Craig Taylor

Published in the Winter 2009 issue of MyTekLife Magazine

The Empire State Building is arguably the most famous urban icon in America and has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. For more than 40 years, this 102-floor landmark was the tallest building in the world and symbolized American capitalism.

Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction got under way on St. Patrick’s Day of the same year. The construction was part of an intense competition in New York for the title of “world’s tallest building.” Other competitors for the title included the Chrysler Building and the 70-story skyscraper at 40 Wall Street.

During construction, the Empire State Building project was contracted to the prominent Starrett brothers, Paul and William. It took the effort of 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, and hundreds of Mohawk iron workers from the Kahnawake reservation near Montreal to erect the massive structure, which they did in only 14 months. They worked so quickly that the steel they used, which came from mills in Pittsburgh, was still hot.

A worker bolts beams during construction of

the empire state building. The Chrysler

Building can be seen the background.

The human cost was high, however. Paul Starrett later wrote that he “suffered a rather severe nervous breakdown,” and he blamed William’s death in 1932 on overwork. Although the building opened in 1931, it didn’t reach full occupancy for many years because of the Depression, despite its new title as the “world’s tallest building.” In addition, on a foggy Saturday morning in 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashed into the Empire State Building. The pilot, Lt. Col. William Smith, was confronted with dense fog, and before he knew it he found himself in the middle of Manhattan, surrounded by skyscrapers. Unfortunately, he couldn’t maneuver his way out and crashed into the north side of the building at the 79th floor, leaving a hole that was 25 feet high. Catherine O’Connor, a survivor, described the crash: “The plane exploded within the building. There were five or six seconds—I was tottering on my feet trying to keep my balance—and three-quarters of the office was instantaneously consumed in this sheet of flame. One man was standing inside the flame. I could see him. It was a co-worker, Joe fountain. His whole body was on fire. I kept calling to him, ‘Come on, Joe. Come on, Joe.’ He walked out of it.” fountain later died from the injuries he sustained. A total of 14 people were killed and 26 were injured. Surprisingly, the integrity of the building was not compromised. The cost of the damage to the building was about $1 million.

As the years passed, the Empire State Building, with its chrome-nickel steel rails, added dazzle to the New York skyline. The observatory tower, with its open-air terraces, provided panoramic views of the entire city and became a top destination for tourists. The building’s distinctive architecture and Art Deco-inspired structural features could be seen in the exterior and interior of the building. In the ‘60s, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night, in colors that depicted holidays and other important events such as Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day or the fourth of July.

In 1994, a motion simulator attraction was added on the second floor that provided a simulated aerial tour of New York. When the “Sky Ride” first opened, it featured James Doohan, Star Trek’s Scotty, as the pilot. Doohan, in a humorous way, would attempt to keep the flight under control during a simulated storm, with the tour taking an unexpected route to Coney Island, the subway and other New York landmarks. In 2002, the ride was updated and a new pilot was introduced— actor Kevin Bacon. The new ride is in High Definition, and the simulation takes tourists to more than 30 sights for which New York is famous. It also shows retrospective tribute footage of the World Trade Center.

New York City is the largest media market in the U.S., so it’s no surprise that nearly all of the city’s television and FM radio signals are transmitted from the top of the Empire State Building. At the very top, you’ll find a lightning rod.

After 42 years as the tallest skyscraper, the Empire State Building was surpassed in 1973 by the North Tower of the World Trade Center. After the September 11, 2001, attacks and the destruction of the World Trade Center, it again became the tallest building in New York City and the fifth-tallest building in the country. This iconic landmark has a vibrant history and continues to symbolize American ambition and ingenuity.