Engineering Marvel
The top of the building is sharper than the rest, making it look like the point of a needle. The main lobby is a shrine to the machine era, while the structure itself is a mechanized temple. One of the world’s biggest ceiling paintings is above the red Moroccan marble walls. Exotic timbers are artfully fashioned into ornamental patterns and applied to the exterior of the lift gates in the inside cabs. The 32 elevators aren’t just moldings but also technological wonders of their era, zipping through the fastest elevator shafts built at record speeds.
The building has four access points: three main public entrances, one service entrance, and one private entrance. Almost all of the lobby’s square footage is occupied with shops. Companies have taken up residence on the levels above the lobby spaces, which means that these floors are off-limits to the public. There are 32 elevators in the building’s central core, arranged in four separate banks. Multiple levels are serviced by each bank.
Several escape routes are available in case of an emergency. The main staircase can be taken straight up from ground level. The construction of the building is made up of both brick and steel. The steel framework and over 3,826,000 bricks were laid by hand. The four concrete eagles at the 61st floor’s four corners are supported by a metal frame and covered in stainless steel.
