Empire State Building in , , | Civil / Building

The Empire State Building was built in New York between 1930-1931 at a cost of US$40,948,900.00 and was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates.
It remains the most famous building in a city famous for its buildings. To this day the Empire State Building is a cherished symbol of New York held in high esteem by the city's millions of residents, and has become an icon to the rest of the world. This present state of grandeur has roots that run deep. The Empire State Building was begun amid unlikely circumstances during the American depression of the early 20th century, at a time when most large construction projects were canceled. This project moved forward thanks to the momentum of its principal backer, John Jakob Raskob, founder of General Motors because of his rivalry with Walter Chrysler's Chrysler Building. Strangely, the poor economic times actually helped the building's progress. Jobs were hard to find, and workers were eager to earn their wage, so construction continued through weekends and holidays, allowing the building to be finished way ahead of schedule. The depression also made building materials much cheaper. The building, itself, cost $24,718,000.00 -- about half of its original anticipated price.
The Empire State Building is 1,453 feet 8 and 9/16th inches tall from street level to its highest point -- a lightning rod. This is on top of the foundation which rests 55 feet below ground. From the lobby level it is possible to ascend to the 80th floor in just 45 seconds thanks to a system of 73 elevators. With all this technology and strength, it's important to note that the ESB didn't have air conditioning for its first few decades. The first air conditioning system was installed in 1950, and has been expanded several times.
Beyond the mere facts and figures are the ways this building has been embraced by the city of New York. There are annual races up the building's 1,860 stairs. When the World Trade Center was bombed by terrorists, only those television stations with antennae on the ESB remained on the air. And most importantly -- the daily festival of lights that transform this skyscraper from a cultural beacon to a literal beacon.