Empire State Building and its stacked Art Deco skyline
Published on 09/15/2026 at 08:31 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Empire State Building rises above Midtown Manhattan as a stacked Art Deco skyscraper that turns a simple vertical shaft into a carefully stepped stone and steel silhouette. Designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon in the early 1930s, it brought the language of the Art Deco movement to an office tower that quickly became a fixed point on New York City’s skyline.
A limestone column on Fifth Avenue
The Empire State Building stands on Fifth Avenue at 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, occupying a full city block among the regular grid of streets and avenues. Its steel frame is wrapped in Indiana limestone and granite, with aluminium and stainless-steel detailing concentrating around the higher floors and crown.The Empire State Building is 1,454 feet tall when measured to the tip of its spire, with a roof height of 381 m (1,250 ft) at the 102nd floor.
The overall composition follows the classical idea of a column, with a broad base of several storeys, a narrower shaft rising through most of the height, and a distinct crown of glass and metal above the main office floors.The structure reaches 102 stories above the avenues, and the massing steps back in stages as it climbs, responding to New York’s setback regulations of the time.
Art Deco design and fast construction
Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates shaped the Empire State Building as an Art Deco skyscraper, using geometric ornament, strong vertical lines and stylised motifs on doors, lifts and lobby ceilings.Construction began on 17 March 1930, and the building was structurally completed in April 1931, an exceptionally rapid schedule for a tower of this scale in that era.
The tower opened to tenants and visitors on 1 May 1931, only about thirteen months after work started on the steel frame.Its skeleton of riveted steel and concrete floors allowed crews to raise multiple storeys each week, while the limestone cladding followed close behind, giving the building its pale, finely jointed surfaces and crisp edges.
Observation decks and the view over Manhattan
Above the office floors the Empire State Building holds observation levels that have become one of the most recognisable vantage points in New York City. The main deck occupies the eighty-sixth floor, with outdoor areas behind railings and higher parapets, while a second, more compact indoor level sits near the top of the tower around the 102nd floor.The building has over one hundred floors in total, and these upper levels sit within the narrow glass and metal portion that caps the stone shaft.
From these decks the view extends along Manhattan’s north–south axis, taking in the street grid, the Hudson and East Rivers and neighbouring towers such as the Chrysler Building and newer glass skyscrapers further south.When completed in 1931 it became the tallest building in the world, and its crown and mast still read as a distinct profile against the larger cluster of contemporary high-rises.
Visiting Empire State Building: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The tower stands at the junction of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, with entrances on both streets and several New York City Subway stations within walking distance.
- Access to the observation levels involves lift rides followed by passages and stairways within the upper tower, and the outdoor areas on the main deck include protective railings and fencing around the perimeter.
- The building’s height means the upper levels sit well above surrounding rooftops, and weather at deck level can differ from conditions at street level, especially in strong winds.
- The official language is English and the currency is the United States dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Empire State Building
Where is the Empire State Building located in New York City?
It stands on Fifth Avenue at West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, occupying a full block within the street grid of central New York City.
What should visitors expect when going up the Empire State Building?
Visitors pass through indoor lobby spaces and lifts before reaching high-level observation decks, where outdoor and indoor areas provide views across Manhattan and nearby rivers.
What makes the Empire State Building distinctive among skyscrapers?
Its stepped Art Deco massing, limestone cladding and 1931 construction date give it a layered, historic profile that contrasts with the glass towers raised around it.
