Iconic Empire State Building Enriches Visitor Experience With New Documentary-Style Exhibit on 80th Floor

NEW YORK, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Permanent Installation Chronicles the Engineering and Construction of the World's Most Famous Office Building

In its 80th anniversary year, the Empire State Building today unveiled a new, permanent exhibit that captures the global icon's astonishing history, engineering and construction.  Curated by Carol Willis of New York City's Skyscraper Museum, the installation is located on the 80th floor of the World's Most Famous Office Building and further enriches and enhances each visitor's Observatory experience.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110718/NY35596 )

Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Building Company, stated, "As part of our more than $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program, we have completely upgraded our Observatory experience.  From our brilliantly restored art deco masterpiece lobby, to this celebration of the unprecedented and unmatched feats of engineering and construction of the Empire State Building, we have created a totally new offering to our millions of annual visitors." He added, "The new 80th floor exhibit's homage to the pioneering work of the architects, builders, and laborers of the day adds to our $2 million, multi-media exhibit about the groundbreaking work on energy efficiency performed at the building and offers educational value for every visitor."

With content from The Skyscraper Museum's archives, the exhibit illustrates three main themes:

• Speed:  Construction took only 11 months from the setting of the tower's first steel columns on April 7, 1930, to the completed building by March 31, 1931-a full month before the official opening ceremonies on May 1, 1931.
• Scale: Gigantic in every dimension, the record-breaking tower required immense amounts of materials and equipment to build what is still one of the tallest and largest man made structures in the world
• Steel: The building's steel frame was intricately designed with remarkable proportions, and all aspects of its construction remain extraordinary, even today

The exhibit shares numerous remarkable facts as well as reproductions of nostalgic photos and mementos of the more than 3,400 workers who helped create history. Documents include stunning period photographs, architectural sketches and renderings, construction notes, and daily bookkeeping documents presented on a series of photomurals, banners, two panels and seven stands. In a unique twist, the exhibit uses the windows of the building to show views from 1931, creating a period look unimaginable unless seen.

Empire State Building visitors view the exhibit along route to the world-famous 86th and 102nd floor Observatories.  The building is open daily, 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.  For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit http://www.esbnyc.com.  

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet (from base to antenna) above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the "World's Most Famous Office Building." With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world's most beloved attractions and is the region's #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit http://www.esbnyc.com, http://www.facebook.com/EmpireStateBuilding, or @ESBObservatory.

Media Contacts: Edelman Public Relations
Daniel Hernandez Lyon, +1-212-277-3738, daniel.hernandez@edelman.com
Blair Garson, +1-212-704-4494, blair.garson@edelman.com