Empire State New York photos, US tower architect, Manhattan skyscraper architecture, NYC building pictures, date

Empire State Building New York

post updated April 4, 2026

Height: 1,250 ft (381 m) tall to its 102nd floor
Total Height: 1,453 feet (443 m) including its 203-foot (62 m) pinnacle
Architects: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Architects
Architectural style: Art Deco

Tallest in the world from 1931 to 1970:
– preceded by Chrysler Building
– surpassed by World Trade Center

Location: 350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York, 10118, United States of America
Type: Office building
Construction started: March 17, 1930
Topped-out: September 19, 1930
Completed: April 11, 1931
Opened: May 1, 1931
Cost: $40,948,900
Owner: Empire State Realty Trust
Name origin: derived from “Empire State”, the nickname of New York state

Photo of this famous New York City tower:

photograph : Andrew McRae

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Empire State Building Key Design Aspects

The Empire State Building is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, and its design reflects both the ambition and technological innovation of its time.

Here are the key Empire State Building design aspects:

Architectural Style: Art Deco

Designed in the Art Deco style, popular in the 1920s–30s
Emphasizes clean lines, geometric forms, and verticality
Decorative elements are elegant but restrained compared to earlier styles

Form & Massing

Features a setback (tiered) design, creating its distinctive stepped silhouette
This was partly influenced by the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which required buildings to allow light and air to reach the streets
The tapering form enhances both aesthetics and structural stability

Dusk view from street level on Fifth Avenue:

Structural Innovation

Built with a steel frame structure, allowing unprecedented height (102 stories)
Rapid construction: completed in just over a year during the Great Depression
Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon

Vertical Emphasis

Strong vertical lines draw the eye upward, emphasizing height
Narrow windows and piers reinforce the building’s soaring effect

Top of tower mast at night:

Iconic Spire

Originally intended as a mooring mast for airships (never practically used)
Now serves as a broadcast tower and visual crown

Materials & Facade

Exterior clad in Indiana limestone, granite, and aluminum
Repetitive window pattern creates rhythm and uniformity
Durable materials contribute to longevity and timeless appeal

Lighting Design

Crown lighting changes colors for events and holidays
Enhances its role as a visual landmark in the skyline

Solid presence at street level with a five-storey podium base block:

Urban Context

Located in Midtown Manhattan
Designed as a commercial office building but also as a symbol of ambition and progress
Became a defining feature of the New York skyline

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Lobby interior photo – former entry hall at street level:

photo © Adrian Welch

New Entry at Empire State Building New York City

August 26, 2018 – A new entrance officially opened on August 22nd to better accommodate the large number of visitors and create a more enjoyable experience. Having visited the Empire State observation deck a few times I can vouch for the daunting length of the queues being an off-putting experience!

In 2017 4.2 million people visited the Empire State Building’s observation deck via the Fifth Avenue lobby, sharing circulation with office employees.

Empire State Building New Entrance

The new observatory deck entrance is round the corner from Fifth Avenue on 34th Street. The new entry is part of the ongoing major revamp by Empire State Realty Trust.

A two-story high model of the building is the focus of the new lobby.

The entrance walls are brought to life with large photographs and a mosaic.

photo : Andrew McRae

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Feb 6, 2018

Empire State Building Observation Deck

New Observation Deck at Empire State Building New York City

Renewal Architects: Beyer Blinder Bellee

As part of the refurbishment of the famous landmark’s 102nd-floor observation deck, NYC architects Beyer Blinder Belle plans to install external mounted “selfie” cameras on select windows, reports www.6sqft.com. The camera will have a fisheye lens, providing sight-seers a picture-perfect image with themselves wrapped in the Manhattan skyline.

photo : Andrew McRae

In addition to the selfie cameras, the architecture firm will add floor-to-ceiling windows to provide better views from one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world. The observation deck’s 4’8″ windows and lower structure will be replaced with nearly 9-foot windows for a totally unobstructed view of the city.

The proposed upgrades by Beyer Blinder Belle architects are set to match the tower’s signature Art-Deco style.

New York skyscraper photo, 2007: Andrew McRae

The owners of the building are looking to fill 50,000 sqft of retail space by 2020 with the skyscraper’s ground-floor, concourse and second-floor currently on the market. It’s the most retail space available at the building since it first opened in 1931.

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Jul 4, 2016

Empire State Building in New York

Empire State Building New York City

Building images from Jun 24 – Jul 2, 2016 © architect Adrian Welch:

Night-time views from the top of this NYC tower:

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Empire State Building

Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY, USA
Location: Midtown
Date built: 1931
Design: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Architects

This famous Manhattan tower design by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Architects is a celebrated 20th Century skyscraper, designed in the Art Deco style.

This celebrated tower is a 381m high skyscraper, a world-famous New York landmark. It is a good example of Art Deco architecture – subtle on the exterior, more accentuated in the tower interior.

World-famous Manhattan skyscraper building:

The Observatory is open every day, including weekends and holidays.

Excavation of the site began on January 22 1930 with construction of this Manhattan skyscraper building starting on March 17 1930. The framework rose at a rate of 4 ½ stories per week.

The masonry work for the building was completed in November 13 1930.

President Hoover pressed a button (unusually not in New York City but in Washington, D.C.) which turned on the Empire State Building’s lights and officially opened the building on May 1 1931.

View of this world-famous NYC building from distance, 2007:

New York skyscraper photo: Andrew McRae