What do you think?
Rate this book
Building the Empire State
A rediscovered 1930s notebook charts the construction of the Empire State Building.
The construction of the Empire State Building was orchestrated by general contractors Starrett Brothers and Eken, premier "skyline builders" of the 1920s. They scheduled the delivery of materials and the construction and recorded daily the number of workers by trade. Compiled from these records, an in-house notebook documented the construction process. Meticulously typed on graph paper and illustrated with construction photographs, this unique document combines a professional specificity of detail with a charming rhapsody to the firm's crowning achievement. Constructed in eleven months, the 1250-foot Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper from 1931 to 1971, was a marvel of modern engineering. The frame rose more than a story a day; no comparable building since has matched that rate of ascent.
The construction of the Empire State Building was orchestrated by general contractors Starrett Brothers and Eken, premier "skyline builders" of the 1920s. They scheduled the delivery of materials and the construction and recorded daily the number of workers by trade. Compiled from these records, an in-house notebook documented the construction process. Meticulously typed on graph paper and illustrated with construction photographs, this unique document combines a professional specificity of detail with a charming rhapsody to the firm's crowning achievement. Constructed in eleven months, the 1250-foot Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper from 1931 to 1971, was a marvel of modern engineering. The frame rose more than a story a day; no comparable building since has matched that rate of ascent.
- GenresArchitecture
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1998
3 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 8, 2022
It’s definitely unique in its formatting; the notebook section gives descriptions organized more by the task than chronologically, but the book is very thorough and interesting. The two introductory sections also give good summaries of the whole process. I wish there were books like this on more buildings.
One other note, I’ve been to the Skyscraper Museum in NYC (that this book’s editor is the director of), and if you enjoy this topic you definitely should visit.
One other note, I’ve been to the Skyscraper Museum in NYC (that this book’s editor is the director of), and if you enjoy this topic you definitely should visit.
June 27, 2023
This is an interesting look into what it took to build the Empire state building. Thomas Kelly mentioned this book as a source for his book Empire Rising. I enjoyed the book and was interested in what it took to build the tallest building in the world.
October 10, 2019
After reading this book, I understood how they achieved the best result in construction projects. Good production organization, years before "project management" techniques, and PERT tools, etc.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews