The Empire State Building is one of the enduring symbols of not only the might and strength of New York City, but of the entire modernist movement of the first part of the twentieth century. The Art Deco design and structure of the famous skyscraper is a testament to modern aesthetic achievement and engineering ingenuity.
Art Deco was a major international artistic and design movement in the 1920s and 1930s. The movement was influenced by other Modernist artistic movements like Constructivism, Cubism, Futurism, and Art Nouveau, and drew on other sources as well. The designs of Art Deco were based in geographical shapes and streamlined stylized forms. Art Deco influenced architecture, as well as industrial and interior design for things such as skyscrapers, train stations, bridges, paintings, graphic arts, fashion and film. The Empire State Building and The Chrysler Building in New York, the Foster and Guardian buildings in Detroit, Michigan, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are all examples of architecture inspired by Art Deco.
The Empire State Building was built in 1930-1931 as part of a race to see who could build the tallest building. Designed by the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, the Empire State Building’s form was said to have inspired by the shape of a pencil. The skyscraper is stepped or tiered like a pyramid. Originally, the building was planned with a flat roof, but a metal plated tower or “hat” was added to the top of the building to give it more height.
Art Deco influences can be seen in the structural features as well as the exterior and interior design of the building. Plant geometry forms like circles, triangles, and squares merge with solid geometrical forms like cubes, cones and spheres to give the building a sense of balance and elegance. Rectangular windows also give the building a distinctive and striking look.
The building has four faceted faces rather than the usual one. The base of the building contains sets of vertical, convex bands cut into the limestone that gives the base a stouter appearance. From the midsection of the building, the upper tower rises up to an observatory on the top floor and capped with a spire that was originally designed as a landing for dirigibles.
Modernistic canopies are in place at the 33rd and 34th street entrances. The Art Deco-inspired lobby consists of three floors of multi-colored marble and granite. The walls are decorated with large bronze medallions and a metal mosaic that features the Empire State Building at the center of the universe. The ceiling is decorated with aluminum, platinum and gold leaf in a design of stars and circles.
The Empire Sate Building is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, due to its distinctive architecture as well as its prominent place in one of the leading cities of the world, New York City. The Empire State Building continues to be an enduring symbol and popular culture icon in the history of modern architecture.