Characteristics

• Building began in March 1930
• Built on the site of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
• Location: 350 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, New York
• Once the tallest building in the world
• Height: 1472 feet (448 meters) from ground to antennaes

                         1250 feet (391 meters) from ground to 102nd floor observatory

                         1050 feet (320 meters) from ground to 86th floor observatory

• Volume of building is 37 million cubic feet
• Cost of building and land: $40,948,900
• Opened on May 1, 1931

Technology

• Was the tallest building when it was built
• Completed in 14 months
• Took 7 million man hours to build
• 3400 people worked on building it
• Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates
• Built by Starrett Brothers & Eken, Inc.
• Building materials include: limestone and granite from Indiana, aluminum and chrome-nickel steel, and marble from France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany

Wonder Qualities

• At the time of its building it was the tallest building
• The building rose 4.5 stories per week
• It is now the tallest building in New York after September 11, 2001