Only twenty months passed from the start of concept design in September of 1929 and the building’s opening in May of 1931. Those twenty months were a flurry of constant activity: once the designs were drafted an army of 3500 workers tore down the Waldorf-Astoria and assembled the Empire State Building at an astonishing rate. At the peak of activity the tower rose just over one story in a day – a rate of construction which while still impressive by today’s standards was unheard of in the 1930s.

The material costs of the Empire State Building were every bit as high as those of labor. 210 foundation columns were sunk into the sturdy granite bedrock of Manhattan – a measure necessary to support the 365000 tons of skyscraper above. 50000 steel beams were then assembled and clad with glass brick and limestone to form a tower 1250 feet (380 meters) tall. In spite of this the building was not only completed on time but a full 45 days ahead of schedule and $5 million (€4556016) under budget.