1931: The Empire State Building
1931: The Empire State Building became the world’s tallest building in 1931. While it took only 410 days to construct this Art Deco skyscraper, the building did not become profitable until 1950. It was famously referred to as the “empty state building” due to its original dearth of renters. The building’s spire was originally designed to as a mooring site for dirigibles (blimps and the like) but this did not pan out due to the strong winds at the top of the building.
The ornate lobby of the Empire State Building
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