Past: Empire State Building (1931)
Bult on the edge of the Great Depression in the heart of New York City, the 102-floor Empire State Building was on course to rival its challenger, the nearby Chrysler Building for the title of Tallest Building in the World. And it did; the building held the title until 1970 with the construction of the original World Trade Center twin towers in lower Manhattan. It was completed in 1931 on time and under budget, to the relief of its owners. But the building had a rather lackluster opening. While it is an architectural wonder of Art Deco skyscraper construction, it only had three-fourths of its rentable spaces filled in when it opened. Critics called it the “Empty State Building.” This has turned around, with a 2023 90% occupancy rate. The building today has office and retail space, and its 86th and 102nd -floor observation deck is a ‘must see’ for tourists to New York.
