January 21, 2008
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This week in A&D
Happy Birthday! (An Empire Rises)
The date: January 22, 1930
The event: Excavation for the Empire State Building beginsInitially designed, from top to bottom–literally–in just two weeks by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, the Empire State Building was completed on March 1st, 1931.
Then came the accolades. (And they’re still coming.)
– The world’s tallest building, topping the Chrysler Building (until it was eclipsed by the World Trade Center North Tower in 1970).
– One of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Six Wonders of the Modern World.
– Ranked number one on the 2007 List of America’s Favorite Architecture, according to the AIA.
What lies ahead for the Empire State Building in the next 78 years? We’ll keep you posted.
Know more:
Empire State Building official site
Six wonders of the modern world
