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Empire State Plaza
EmpirePlaza17.jpg
Aerial view, looking eastward to the Hudson River
Alternative names Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza
General information
Architectural style Modernist, Brutalist, International
Location Albany, New York
Address Between Madison Avenue and State Street, and Swan Street and Eagle Street
Coordinates 42°39′01″N 73°45′35″W / 42.650347°N 73.759688°W / 42.650347; -73.759688
Current tenants Various government agencies of the State of New York,
New York State Museum
Construction started 1965
Completed 1976
Renovated 2001
Cost $2 Bn
Owner State of New York
Height 44 stories, 589 feet (180 m)
Technical details
Structural system Reinforced concrete
Floor count 6-story platform; 44-story tower
Design and construction
Architect Wallace Harrison
Architecture firm Harrison & Abramovitz
Renovating team
Architect Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates

The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, often called the Empire State Plaza, is a large group of government buildings in downtown Albany, New York. It's a key spot where the New York State government works.

This huge complex was built between 1965 and 1976. It cost about $2 billion to create. Many New York State government offices are located here. It also connects to the New York State Capitol, which is where the state's lawmakers meet. The New York State Museum is also part of the Plaza.

Discovering the Empire State Plaza's History

How the Plaza Idea Began

The idea for the Empire State Plaza came from Governor Nelson Rockefeller. He got the idea after Princess Juliana of the Netherlands visited Albany. They were celebrating the area's Dutch history.

Governor Rockefeller felt a bit embarrassed by some older parts of the city. He thought Albany didn't look as grand as the Princess might have expected. This made him want to build something impressive.

Designing a Modern Government Center

Rockefeller and architect Wallace Harrison came up with the basic design while flying on the governor's plane. Rockefeller sketched his ideas on a postcard. They looked at famous places like Brasilia, Versailles, and Chandigarh for inspiration.

The Plaza was designed to be very big. It was meant to be seen from far away across the Hudson River. It became a major part of the Albany skyline.

How the Plaza Was Funded

Paying for such a huge project was tricky. People across the state might not have approved a bond issue just for Albany. So, Albany Mayor Erastus Corning worked with Governor Rockefeller.

They found a way to use Albany County bonds instead of state bonds. The state agreed to pay rent for the Plaza, which was officially county property. This rent would cover the bond payments. Later, the state took full ownership in 2001.

Building the Plaza: From Demolition to Completion

The state took control of the land, about 98.5 acres, on March 27, 1962. This was done through eminent domain, which means the government can buy private land for public use. About 1,200 buildings were torn down from late 1962 to 1964.

Construction officially started on June 21, 1965. The project faced many delays. The state set very tight schedules, which sometimes caused problems between different construction teams.

The first building, the Legislative Office Building, was finished in 1972. The last, the Egg, was completed in 1978. The Plaza officially opened on November 21, 1973. It was fully working by 1976. By 2014, over 11,000 state employees worked there.

Exploring the Plaza's Architecture

Empire State Plaza illustration
The eastern elevation of the plaza

The Empire State Plaza has many buildings made of steel and reinforced concrete. Most are covered in stone from different parts of the world. The only exception is The Egg, which shows its concrete structure.

All the buildings sit on a huge, 6-story stone platform. This platform is supported by more than 25,000 steel poles. These poles go deep into the soft clay ground.

Unique Building Designs

The Plaza's design uses simple, strong geometric shapes. This shows Governor Rockefeller's idea that buildings can be like sculptures. The tall, narrow windows and outside columns of the buildings look similar to the World Trade Center towers in New York City, which were built around the same time.

Wallace Harrison was the main architect for the whole project. Other firms helped design specific buildings.

Key Buildings at the Plaza

The Plaza includes several important buildings:

  • The four Agency office buildings (Agency 1 to 4).
  • The Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower.
  • The Egg (a theater and meeting center).
  • The Cultural Education Center (home to the State Museum, Library, and Archives).
  • The Robert Abrams Building for Law and Justice.
  • The Legislative Office Building (LOB).
  • The Swan Street Building.

The buildings are very large. The Erastus Corning Tower is the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City. The Swan Street Building is over a quarter of a mile long. It was partly inspired by Pharaoh Hatshepsut's Temple in Deir el-Bahri, Egypt. The main platform of the Plaza is one of the biggest buildings in the world.

The Plaza used a lot of concrete and stone. The stone came from many places on three continents. You can find guides that describe all the different types of stone used.

Memorials and Outdoor Features

There are at least 15 memorials at the Plaza. These include memorials for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There are also special memorials for women veterans, police, firefighters, and crime victims.

The Plaza has many trees and gardens. It also features an ice skating rink and a decorative water fountain.

Getting Around the Empire State Plaza

EmpirePlaza19
View of plaza bulkhead wall from Eagle Street, with access to parking garage

The South Mall Arterial, a short highway, runs underneath the Plaza. It connects to the Dunn Memorial Bridge. Building this highway meant tearing down many buildings in downtown Albany.

The Plaza has over 3,000 parking spaces on its lower levels. This makes it easy for people to drive and park.

Several CDTA bus routes serve the Plaza. Some buses even go directly to an underground bus station in the Concourse.

Layout of the Plaza

NYSCapitolPanorama
New York State Capitol, which is at the north end of the plaza

The buildings are arranged around three reflecting pools. On the west side are four 23-story Agency towers. On the east side are the Egg and the 44-floor Erastus Corning Tower. The Corning Tower has an observation deck on the 42nd floor where you can see great views.

The Cultural Education Center is on the south end, on a higher platform. The New York State Capitol is at the north end. Even though the Capitol is older, it connects to the Plaza's Concourse by an escalator. This allows easy underground access to other Plaza buildings, like the Legislative Office Building.

The Plaza is also connected to the Times Union Center (a sports arena) by a pedestrian bridge. Another tunnel connects the Capitol building to the Alfred E. Smith Building.

The entire complex is designed to be easy to access for people using wheelchairs.

The Concourse: An Underground City

The Concourse is like an "Underground City" in Albany. It has food courts, a McDonald's restaurant, banks, a post office, and shops. It connects all the buildings in the Plaza. Many state workers use the Concourse during their lunch breaks.

The Concourse also displays many artworks and sculptures. These are part of the state's collection of modern abstract art.

The Empire State Plaza Art Collection

Empire State Plaza concourse
The 14-mile (400 m) underground corridor at the Concourse level of the plaza displays part of the Empire State Plaza Art Collection

The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection is spread throughout the complex. You can find it in the underground Concourse, inside buildings, and in outdoor areas. The collection includes 92 large paintings, sculptures, and tapestries.

Experts like Glenn D. Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art, have called it "the most important State collection of modern art in the country." It's also known as "the greatest collection of modern American art in any single public site that is not a museum." The goal was to bring fine art into the daily lives of people who might not usually see it.

How the Art Was Chosen

A special group chosen by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller selected the artworks in 1965. Governor Rockefeller himself approved each piece.

The collection features modern artists who worked in New York State. Rockefeller believed that New York was a center for modern art. He wanted these great artists to be shown in the state complex. He liked "strong, simple painting without a message."

The collection has 92 artworks created between 1952 and 1973 by 63 artists. Sixteen of these pieces were made specifically for the Plaza. The art styles range from Abstract Expressionism to Minimalism, Pop Art, and Op Art. It's like an "encyclopedia of abstraction" from the 1960s.

You can take free guided tours of the art collection. Self-guided audio tours are also available.

Notable Artworks in the Collection

Artist Title Year Medium
Anuszkiewicz, Richard Grand Spectra 1968 acrylic on canvas
Bladen, Ronald The Cathedral Evening 1972 painted Cor-Ten steel
Bolomey, Roger Henry Untitled 1969-71 bronze
Bolomey, Roger Henry Untitled 1969-71 bronze
Bolotowsky, IIya Large Tondo 1969 acrylic on canvas
Bontecou, Lee Untitled 1966 paint, fiberglass, and leather on welded metal framework
Brooks, James Chaco 1965 oil on canvas
Calcagno, Lawrence Red-Black 1967 oil and acrylic on canvas
Calder, Alexander Four at Forty-Five Degrees 1966 polychromed sheet metal
Calder, Alexander Triangles and Arches 1965 painted steel
Callery, Mary Z 1963 brass
Chryssa Vardea-Mavromichali Arrow: Homage to Times Square 1958 painted cast aluminum
Coggeshall, Calvert Touching 1968 casein on canvas
D'Arcangelo, Allan American Landscape 1967 acrylic on canvas
Daphnis, Nassos 2-68 1968 epoxy paint on canvas
Davis, Gene Sky Wagon 1969 acrylic on canvas
Duran, Robert Untitled 1970 acrylic on canvas
Ferber, Herbert Double One on C 1966 copper
Frankenthaler, Helen Capri 1967 acrylic on canvas
Gabo, Naum Construction in Space: Spheric Theme 1969 stainlesss and Cor-Ten steel
Glarner, Fritz Untitled 1968 oil on canvas
Goodnough, Robert Struggle 1966-67 charcoal, acrylic, and oil on canvas
Gottlieb, Adolph Orange Glow 1967 oil on canvas
Guston, Philip Smoker 1963 oil on canvas
Hadzi, Dimitri Helmet V 1961 bronze
Hartigan, Grace The-The #1 1962 oil on canvas
Held, Al Rothko's Canvas 1969-70 acrylic on canvas
Horwitt, Will Spaces 1969-70 cast aluminum
Jenkins, Paul Phenomena: Mistral Veil 1970 acrylic on canvas
Jensen, Alfred Kronos 1968 oil on canvas
Judd, Donald Untitled 1968 stainless steel and amber plexiglass
Kelly, Ellsworth Yellow Blue 1968 painted steel
Kelly, Ellsworth Primary Tapestry 1968 handwoven wool
Kipp, Lyman Wild Rice 1967 painted steel
Kline, Franz Charcoal Black and Tan 1959 oil on canvas
Krushenick, Nicholas Faster than Sunshine 1968 acrylic on canvas
Liberman, Alexander Temple II 1964-69 aluminum
Lipton, Seymour The Empty Room 1964 nickel-silver on nickel-copper
Louis, Morris Aleph Series IV 1960 acrylic on canvas
Loving, Alvin D. Jr. New Morning I 1973 acrylic on canvas
Lukin, Sven Untitled 1969 enamel on wood
Mallary, Robert Pythia 1966 plywood, fiberglass, epoxy, and painted steel
Marca-Relli, Conrad Black Rock 1958 oil and canvas on canvas
Meadmore, Clement Turn Out 1967 Cor-Ten steel
Meadmore, Clement Verge 1971-72 painted Cor-Ten steel
Milkowski, Antoni Salem 7, 1/3 1965-67 Cor-Ten steel
Mitchell, Joan La Seine 1967 oil on canvas, quadriptych
Motherwell, Robert Burnt Sienna 1968 handwoven wool
Motherwell, Robert Dublin 1916, with Black and Tan 1964 oil and acrylic on canvas
Myers, Forrest Untitled 1969-70 Cor-Ten and stainless steel
Nevelson, Louise Atmosphere and Environment V 1966 aluminum, black epoxy, enamel
Noguchi, Isamu Studies for the Sun 1959-64 travertine
Noguchi, Isamu Studies for the Sun 1959-64 iron
Noguchi, Isamu Studies for the Sun 1959-64 bronze
Noland, Kenneth Via Ochre 1968 acrylic on canvas
Novak, Gyora Links 1965 black lacquer on wood
Novros, David Untitled 1968 acrylic lacquer on fiberglass
Okada, Kenzo Hagoromo 1964 oil on canvas
Oldenburg, Claes Geometric Mouse, Scale A, 1/6 1969 painted steel and aluminum
Parker, Raymond Curling Red 1967 oil on canvas
Pepper, Beverly Campond 1969-70 chrome-plated steel
Pettet, William Untitled 1968 acrylic on canvas
Pollock, Jackson Number 12, 1952 1952 mixed media
Rickey, George Two Lines Oblique 1968-71 stainless steel
Rosati, James Heroic Galley 1958 bronze
Rosati, James Lippincott I 1967 painted Cor-Ten steel
Rosenthal, Tony Duologue 1965 bronze
Rothko, Mark Untitled 1967 oil on canvas
Ruda, Edwin Tecumseh 1969 acrylic on canvas
Sander, Ludwig Pawnee II 1968 oil on canvas
Schmidt, Julius Untitled 1966 bronze
Segal, George The Billboard 1966 plaster, wood, metal, and rope
Seley, Jason Colleoni II 1969-71 welded steel
Sihvonen, Oli Untitled 1968-69 oil on canvas
Smith, David Voltri-Bolton III 1962 painted steel
Smith, David VB XXI 1963 painted steel
Smith, David Volton XIII 1963 painted steel
Smith, David Volton XVI 1963 painted steel
Smith, David Volton XVIII 1963 painted steel
Smith, Tony The Snake Is Out, 1/3 1962-69 painted mild steel
Stahly, François Labyrinth 1970-71 iroko wood
Stamos, Theodoros Iberian Sun Box 1967 oil on canvas
Still, Clyfford 1964 (PH-558) 1964 oil on canvas
Sugarman, George Trio 1969-71 painted aluminum
Sullivan, Jim Sojourno 1969 aquatec on canvas
Tworkov, Jack Wedding Flags 1965 oil on canvas
von Schlegell, David West End 1966 aluminum
Voulkos, Peter Dunlop 1967 bronze
Williams, William T. Sweets Crane 1969 acrylic on canvas
Wines, James Grey Disc 1968 painted cement and steel
Youngerman, Jack Eastward 1967 acrylic on canvas
Zox, Larry Gemini Series I 1968 acrylic on canvas

Memorials at the Plaza

The Empire State Plaza is home to at least 15 memorials. These were built by the New York State Office of General Services. You can find state memorials for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There are also special memorials for women veterans, police, firefighters, crime victims, children, and missing persons. You can download a brochure to take a self-guided tour of these memorials.

Visiting the Corning Tower Observation Deck

The observation deck is on the 42nd floor of the 44-story Erastus Corning Tower. It's free and open to the public on weekdays. The tower is the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City. From here, you can see amazing views of Albany and the surrounding area.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Empire State Plaza para niños

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