The Empire State Building is one of New York City’s most recognizable landmarks. For a very long time, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world-- it was this building that gave New York much of its mystique in the 1930s and 1940s, and helped it grow into the international city that it is today. The building itself is still operational, and there are observation decks that are currently open to the public. The building itself is something of an icon, a symbol of America at the height of the Art Deco style of architecture. It has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World; to this day, it remains a marvel of civil engineering (Empire State Building).
The Empire State Building physically sits at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street (Empire State Building). It is 103 stories tall with a roof height of 1,250 feet and a total height of 1,454 feet (Empire State Building). The Empire State Building held the record for the world’s tallest building for nearly forty years-- from its completion until the World Trade Center was completed (Empire State Building).
The Empire State Building was completed during an interesting time for American art. Every architect seemed to want to construct skyscrapers at this time; there was heavy competition between architectural firms to see who could complete the tallest skyscraper, or the most striking building. William F. Lamb, the architect who designed the Empire State Building, designed the building in a matter of weeks (Empire State Building). His architecture firm, Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, had designed and produced drawings for a different skyscraper earlier; they used these same drawings to create the plan for the Empire State Building. Lamb himself was a native of Brooklyn, New York, and thus was uniquely placed to design what he hoped would turn out to be the tallest building in the world (Empire State Building).
The Empire State Building is a building that was completed in the Art Deco style of architecture. This style of architecture is very distinct; the architecture of the Art Deco style tended towards clean, geometric lines with bold, geometric patterns (Stokstad et al.). Art Deco is a sister style to many of the unusual painting styles of the early 1900s; for instance, Cubism is closely related to the Art Deco style, although it is less highly organized (Stokstad et al.). Art Deco also tended towards materials like steel and metals because of the influence of the machine age on the art world (Stokstad et al.).
The Empire State Building is a somewhat late example of the Art Deco architectural style, although distinct elements of Art Deco can certainly be seen in the skyscraper. There is a distinct focus on verticality in the building; rather than being organized horizontally, the rows of windows pull the eye vertically along the height of the structure, drawing the viewer upwards, forcing them to understand the height of the structure. In the time that it was built, the Empire State Building was certainly a marvel of modern engineering. To this day, it remains a marvel of architecture and a wonderful example of the Art Deco style of American construction (Empire State Building).
The building itself is built in a somewhat traditional manner for an Art Deco skyscraper. It looks to be a series of blocks stacked together; unlike the more free-wheeling movements that would come later, getting thinner as it stretches towards the sky. It looks almost pencil-like in shape, the shape of the quintessential skyscraper. Indeed, it is one of the buildings that many other skyscrapers that came after would model after and borrow stylistic elements from (Stokstad et al.).
This was the time period where America was moving forwards with industry, but it was also a time of depression-- the Great Depression, in fact-- and these skyscrapers that were built during this time were reflective of a hope for a better future. In addition to being a marvel of engineering-- it was the tallest building on Earth for forty years, after all-- the detailing of the building is unique and sets the Empire State Building apart from other skyscrapers, even within the same era. The geometric patterning and lines of the building are effective and subtle, drawing the viewer’s eye to the height and massive scale of the building without seeming ostentatious.
As for quality, the Empire State Building has been standing since 1931. In terms of engineering, it is a wonderful example of the things that humanity is capable of; however, in terms of art, it is also a marvel. The detailing of the building has been echoed many other times by numerous other architects; it is a highly successful work by anyone’s standards. The Empire State Building is still a tourist attraction to this day. There is no denying that the Empire State Building is a landmark example of American architecture.
References
Empire State Building,. 'Historical Timeline'. N.p., 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
Stokstad, Marilyn, Marion Spears Grayson, and Stephen Addiss. Art History. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1995. Print.
Unmuseum.org,. 'Seven Wonders - Empire State Building'. N.p., 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
