The Construction of New York's Empire State Building
explanatory Essay
1571 words
Since it was built, the Empire State Building has been attracting millions of tourists every year. This building is not only a national landmark and icon of New York City but a symbol of man’s attempt to achieve the impossible. The skyscraper is also the star in many movies such as An Affair to Remember, Sleepless in Seattle and King Kong. It stands out among the city’s skyline so people arriving by air, sea, or land can always pick out its distinctive shape (Britton 4). The Empire State Building is considered one of the eight wonders of the world and the people, the purpose, the construction, and the difficulties that went along with this wonder all started with a race to the sky.
First, the Empire State Building’s design and construction are testaments to the creativity and determination of the people that made this spectacular building a reality (Doherty 5). These people are John Jakob Raskob and Alfred E. Smith. Raskob was the president and finance committee chairman of General Motors and became a very rich man (Britton 10). Smith came from a very poor family and when his father died, he left school to get a job to support his family. Smith was a very hard worker and, in 1903, he was elected New York state representative. In 1918, he was elected governor (Britton 8 and 9). Raskob eventually resigned from General Motors and became a chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Raskob and Smith became friends through their mutual interest in the Democratic Party. In 1928, Smith was nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate for president. Raskob managed Smith’s campaign (Britton 11). When Herbert Hoover won the election they both needed jobs, what they did next was a big surprise.
Furthermore, a...
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... Cited
Britton, Tamara. The Empire State Building. Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing Company, 2005.
Burgess, Anthony. The Great Cities/New York. New York City: Time Life Books, 1976.
Doherty, Craig A., and Katherine M. Doherty. The Empire State Building (Building America). Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press, 1998.
Mann, Elizabeth. Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies (Wonders of the World Book). New York: Mikaya Press, 2003.
Nevius, James, and Michelle Nevius. Frommers 24 Great Walks in New York. 1 ed. Hoboken, NJ: Frommers, 2008.
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Empire State Building." 20th Century History. N.p., 1 Oct. 2009. . (14 Dec. 2009).
Roza, Greg. The Incredible Story of Skyscrapers (Kid's Guide to Incredible Technology). 1 ed. New York: Powerkids Press, 2004.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the empire state building is a national landmark and symbol of man's attempt to achieve the impossible.
- Explains that the empire state building's design and construction are testaments to the creativity and determination of the people that made this spectacular building a reality.
- Explains how smith and raskob teamed up to build the tallest building in the world after losing the 1929 election. being the envy of the city was also a practical reason.
- Explains that the waldorf-astoria hotel had an excellent location at a busy intersection on fifth avenue.
- Explains that the architects for the empire state building were shreve, lamb and harmon. they wanted the building to be sleek, modern, and well lit.
- Explains that the otis elevator was safer than the ones previously used. the empire state building was mainly made out of glass, stone, and brick.
- Explains that the empire state building was built to 102 stories, beating out the chrysler building at 77 stories. president hoover pushed a button to light up the tower.
- Explains that the empire state building had a difficult time attracting new business. the depression lowered labor costs, so the building was dubbed the ‘empty state’.
- Explains that an army plane hit the 79th floor of the empire state building on july 28, 1945, killing 14 people and injuring 25 people. it took $1 million and a year of work to repair the floors that were affected most.
- Explains that the empire state building is recognized as a national historic landmark. millions of people have visited the observation deck on the 86th floor.
- Concludes that the empire state building exudes physical dominance, and remains a remarkable icon for all new yorkers.
- Describes the works of tamara britton, anthony burgess, craig a., and katherine m. doherty, the empire state building.
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- Explains that the station officially opened in 1913 but wasn't finished until 1919. it is monumental in scale and functions today as it did when it was first built.
- Cites goeshel, nancy. grand central terminal designation report. (lp-1099). new york city.
- Describes dell upton's book, "architecture in the united states", which analyzes the diversity and richness of american architecture.
- Analyzes how upton explores the stylistic approach to architecture, as a way to achieve an objective of beauty. the grand central terminal, city hall, and seventh regiment armory are all good fits for this chapter.
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