The Empire State Building
Almost every American knows what the Empire State Building is, what it looks like, and where it is located. It opened in 1931 and to this day it is one of, if not the most popular buildings in the world. Many people may not know the history of why it was built, how it became an American icon, and how it turned the page for architecture. This building has a very interesting story behind it that will live on forever.
In 1889 the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris and it was nearly double the height of the world’s previous tallest structure (Klein). Standing at 984 feet, this amazing structure sparked a competitive attitude in American architects to build something bigger (“How did the Empire State Building”). By the early twentieth century, architects were ready to build and a skyscraper race was about to begin (“How did the Empire State Building”). By 1909 the Metropolitan Life Tower rose to 700 feet with an addition to the top, then, in 1913, the Woolworth building went 92 feet above the MetLife Tower, and soon after that, the Bank of Manhattan Building came to 927 feet in 1929 (“How did the Empire State Building”). These new buildings, which now are American landmarks, were coming close to the Eiffel Tower but none of them stood as tall or taller. That all changed when one man jumped in the race: John Jakob Raskob.
John Jakob Raskob was vice president of General Motors and in 1928 he left to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee (“John Jakob Raskob”). After the presidential election, Raskob decided to jump in the skyscraper race and at that time, Raskob’s main rival, Walter Chrysler (founder of the Chrysler Corporation), was constructing a monumental building. Chrysler was keeping the height of his building a secret until it was completed, because of this, Raskob started making plans while not knowing what height he had to beat (“How did the Empire State Building”). In 1929, Raskob and his partners bought some property for the skyscraper for $16 million. It was the same property where the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel sat and the owners agreed to sell the property and build a new hotel somewhere else (“How did the Empire State Building”). Now that Raskob had the site for the skyscraper, it was now time to make a plan to construct what would be, at that time, the tallest building in the world.
Raskob formed a group of well known investors, including the former Governor of New York, Alfred E. Smith (“Empire State Building Dedicated”). The group chose the architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates to design the building (“Empire State Building Dedicated”). It is said that Raskob held up a thick pencil to William Lamb and asked, “Bill, how high can you make it so that it won’t fall down?” (“How did the Empire State Building”). Lamb began planning and he came up with a plan that included details of amounts of space in the center and between each floor, vertical circulation, and basically the proper architectural design needed for a massive skyscraper to last (“How did the Empire State Building”). The group had worries on whether it would be tall enough. They thought they would be the tallest at 80 stories but the Chrysler building went higher, so they’re plans went higher as well (“The Empire State Building”). Construction of the building, under direction of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates, began in March of 1930, only three months before the Chrysler Building was finished (“Historical Timeline”). The team chose the Starrett Bros. & Eken to build the skyscraper and with an extremely tight schedule, they began ordering supplies and preparing to break ground (“How did the Empire State Building”). It was time to get to work.
After 600 men had worked day and night to demolish the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and clean the property up to establish a foundation, the construction of the steel skeleton began on March 17, 1930 (“Historical Timeline”). Two hundred and ten steel columns made up the vertical frame with twelve than ran the entire height of the building (“How did the Empire State Building”). The construction was a hard job in that time and there were more people doing the job that many machines do today. For example, the riveters that connected the beams worked in teams where one placed rivets into a fiery forge then toss them with tongs - about 50 feet - to the next team; they would catch the red-hot rivets in an old paint can then they would place the rivets in the holes of the beams while another team hit the head of the rivets with a riveting hammer, fusing them together (“How did the Empire State Building”). These men worked from the bottom to the top of the structure, over a thousand feet above the ground and once the workers had completed the steel skeleton, cheer rose up on the streets and the last rivet placed was solid gold (“How did the Empire State Building”). Moving on, to speed up the transportation of materials, a railway was built at the site and this was one of the many ways the builders saved time and money (“How did the Empire State Building”). Construction was moving so well that fourteen and a half floors were built in only ten days including the steel, concrete, stone and everything (“The Empire State Building”). Being in the Depression, the construction employed as many as 3,400 workers on a single day (“Empire State Building Dedicated”). As time went on, electricians and plumbers came and installed what was necessary and the skyscraper was nearly complete.
The Empire State Building was completed April 11th, 1931, standing at 1,250 feet high as the world’s tallest building. Construction was extremely fast, taking only one year and 45 days. On top of that, the cost was $10 million under budget due to the Great Depression lowering labor costs (“How did the Empire State Building”). It was something that the American people took great pride and they were very proud of it. Along with that, it also showed signs of hope during the Depression, showing America that the impossible was achieved along with employing many people who had no job since this building was so massive. It has appeared in over than 250 films over the years and has memorable moments in; King Kong, An Affair to Remember and Elf. This building was the tallest in the world for 40 years until the World Trade Center took the title. The Empire State Building just seems to appear in our minds when we hear the words “New York”.
In conclusion, John Raskob was very successful in the skyscraper race, building one of the most well known buildings in the world and at the time, the tallest. The Empire State Building changed the world of architecture because of the massive size and unique design that the world had not seen before along with new ways of construction which helped get the building up in less than two years and staying way under budget. It was a sign of hope for America during one of the hardest times to live in. For many Americans, the Empire State Building is not just a building; it’s an icon that represents America and how we, as a country, can achieve anything.
Works Cited
“Empire State Building Dedicated.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/empire-state-building-dedicated. Accessed 18 Nov 2016.
“Historical Timeline.” Empire State Building. esbnyc.com, www.esbnyc.com/explore/historical-timeline. Accessed 18 Nov 2016.
“How Did the Empire State Building Get Built?” About. About.com, 30 July 2015, www.history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/empirestatebldg_2.htm. Accessed 18 Nov 2016.
“John Jakob Raskob.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/John-Jakob-Raskob. Accessed 18 Nov 2016.
Klein, Christopher. “10 Things You May Not Know About the Eiffel Tower.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 Mar. 2014, www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-eiffel-tower. Accessed 18 Nov, 2016