The Construction Of The Empire State Building

Since its construction in 1931 until the completion of the North tower of the world trade center in 1972, the Empire state building was the tallest building in the world. This building is 102 floors, its height of 381 meters, and built the Empire state building in just 410 days! It was built three months earlier, with a sharp decrease of the budget during the great Depression. Photographer Lewis Hine Vikes took these pictures in 1931, during the construction of the famous skyscraper. Looking at some of them, amazed that the builders are not afraid to work at a height.

Excavation work on the site began on January 22 1930 and construction of the tower itself started on March 17 — on St. Patrick's Day. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Worked on the construction site 3400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, as well as hundreds of builders-installers of steel structures, of the tribe of Mohawk. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Photos of photographer Lewis Hine the Vikes are not only important historical sources documenting the stages of construction, but also reflect the life and working conditions of the time. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The construction took only 410 days. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The week was built approximately four and a half floors and in the most intense period of 10 days was built on 14 floors. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The official opening took place on may 1, 1931, when US President Herbert Hoover turned on the building's lights by pushing a button in Washington. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

For all time of operation of the buildings here were more than 30 suicides. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The building is 443.2 meters high to the tip of the spire and 381 meters to the roof. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The building is among the ten most beautiful buildings in Manhattan, finishing in 4th place. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Located in the tower, 6,500 Windows and 73 elevators. The building weighs in at 331 000 tonnes, built on a two-story base and supported by a steel structure weighing 400 tons 54. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

It went ten million bricks and 700 kilometers of cable. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The staircase has 1860 steps, where once a year hold a competition for a speedy recovery. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The tower is located about 1000 offices, the number of employees is 21 000 people, making the Empire state building the second-highest number of employees of the building of America after the Pentagon. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

It is designed in a modest yet elegant art Deco style. Unlike most modern skyscrapers, the façade of the tower is executed in classical style. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Since then, the illuminated building becomes a unique spectacle: every day of the week has its own color, and during the holidays and important dates skyscraper illuminated by special color combinations. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The observation deck on the 86th floor has a viewing angle of 360 degrees. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

In 1933, the screens out the movie "king Kong" in which it is at the top of the Empire state building was fight with a giant gorilla. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

5 Feb on the stairs of the Empire state building competitions in running. Well trained runners are able to overcome the 1576 stairs of the building — from 1 to 86 floor — for a few minutes. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The building was built on the money of John D. Rockefeller Jr. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Hall length of 30 meters and a height of 3 floors, marble and decorated with 8 panels depicting the 7 wonders of the world and the eighth is the Empire state building. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Take the lift for a minute, you can get to the observation deck on the 86th or 102nd floor. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

In 1986, the Empire state building was added to the list of national historic landmarks of the United States. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The architecture of the building belongs to the art Deco style. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The tower got its name from the nickname of the U.S. state of new York, which is called the "Empire state." (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

When may 1, 1931, the official opening of the Empire state building, the United States experienced a period of economic depression. Therefore, it failed to pass, not all the facilities, and the building was dubbed the "Empty state building". (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

Traditionally, in addition to the normal lighting of the building is done in the colors of new York sports teams in those days, when the city hosts the matches of these teams. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)

The skyscraper is one of the main symbols of new York "star" in many movies and just national pride of Americans. (Lewis Wickes Hine / NYPL Digital Gallery)