The Empire State Building

For many people, the first building that comes to mind when thinking of New York City is the Empire State Building. The iconic 102-story building has been a member of the NYC skyline since its completion in 1931, where it kept its title as the tallest building in the world for forty years. The skyscraper was built with the intention of hosting offices although it is much more widely known for its stature as well as its panoramic views of the city. The building adapts a Modernist Art Deco style and remains one of the most revered examples of the art style. The building's metallic colors, pronounced shapes and designs, and incorporation of glass and steel resulted in an extremely unique and original work of architecture. The building uses a building style known as Ziggurats that is adapted from ancient buildings. Ziggurats utilize methods such as pyramid-like construction to create buildings that have the potential to be very tall which was important to the architects constructing the skyscraper. Along with 730 tons of aluminum and stainless steel, the building was constructed by using 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone and granite, and 10 million bricks. Today, after over ninety years since its completion, The Empire State Building remains the gem of New York City and continues to attract thousands to the city.