The Empire State Building is not just a tourist attraction but also a part of history of New York. There are many interesting facts about this famous building. One of them is that it changes colours on the top of the tower, depending on current events and holidays. Another fact is that it was struck by a lightning for about 100 times in one year. The most interesting fact is that it was named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

When you come to New York in the period of an important celebration or holiday this building will give you a breathtaking show. For example if you go there on the St.Patrick’s Day the lights on the building will be green. At the end of August and the beginning of September it is covered in yellow because of the tennis tournament US open.

This building is the third highest skyscraper in the USA and the tallest building in New York. It was built in art deco style. It was designed by architects Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. The building has 102 floors and without the antenna on the roof, it is 382 meters high, and including television transmitters, it is 443.2 meters high. It is a popular tourist destination, annually visited by about 4 million people.

The lobby on the ground floor is the most representative part of the building. High as three normal floors and lined with carefully chosen precious marble from Italy, France, Belgium and Germany. At one point it was necessary to excavate the entire marble vein to find the desired color and composition. The building after a few floors suddenly narrows, limited to the central part of the plot: there begins to precipitate rising into the sky, stopping only after a hundred meters. After a dozen floors of the same brand (at least in external appearance) of the premises, the building is again narrowed to 86th floor where the observation deck is. It is fully glazed space at an altitude of 320 meters (1050 feet) which is heated in winter and summer cooling and spot with a superb view of the environment.

The biggest attraction is the large telescope mounted on the terrace wall. If clear, visibility reaches 120 miles, twice as much from the lower viewpoint. At this altitude winds blow and the atmospheric conditions are weird. During the storm one can often see how rain and snow “fall” upwards, carried upward by air currents. Rain is sometimes a reddish color. At times wind gust or hurricane, the pressure on the giant facade area is enormous. Despite this, measurements were performed using a very sensitive gyroscopes have shown that the building does not move more than a quarter of the thumb from its vertical axis even under the impact of the strongest winds.

The Empire State Building is an icon and inseparable part of the history of architecture. It is also a symbol of one city, one period of time, one technique and the origin of an epic.