Empire State Building Observatory Upgrade
This spectacular reimagining of the Empire State Building Observatory celebrates this global icon with thrilling, immersive experiences, improvements to the Observatory’s singular views of New York, and a dedicated guest entrance. The project significantly reduces wait times and adds immersive galleries on three floors. It effectively doubles theObservatory viewing areas, removes obstacles from the view, and dramatically improves nighttime viewing with new lighting.High points include a spectacular 24’ high model of the building within a grand stairway, time travel to the building’s construction, a full- scale encounter with Kong, and expanded floor- to- ceiling, 360 degree views from the 102nd Floor.
The Challenge
In 2015, the Empire State Building’s owner, Empire State Realty Trust, began a spectacular reimagining of the building’s famed Observatory. The project arose from an opportunity to reclaim street- level space on the building’s 34th Street storefront to create, for the first time, a dedicated Observatory entrance. This opened the possibility to completely change the way over 4 million annual guests experience the building.
Research showed that people from around the world had immense affection for the building. They hungered for a deeper connection to it, were curious about its history, and thought of it as a starting point to get to know New York. But, though they loved the view, they experienced long queues and tedious wait times that diminished the experience.
The project would have to completely change both the reality and perception of the wait, while improving every aspect of the experience. It would have to be cutting- edge, while respecting the vintage Deco building.
A broad queuing boulevard, flanked by historic and prize-winning photos of the building, provides agracious way in to ticketing and security.
Evan Joseph
The Observatory Galleries begin with a trip through time and the original site of the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel, which was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building.
Tom Hennes
The 13-month construction period, which began in April of 1930, comes vividly to life in this
surround-sound, scenic and immersive video installation based on famed Louis Hine photographs.
Evan Joseph
The World’s Most Famous Building shows a sampling of the thousands of films, TV shows,
commercials, video games, and comics from all over the world that have featured the building.
Tom Hennes
Approach to a vintage 1933 office, high in the Empire State Building, where guests have a face-to-face (and hand-to-hand) encounter with Kong, who roars at circling biplanes and peers inside.
Tom Hennes
Design + Execution
The new entrance drastically reduces crowding and stress, while celebrating guests’ arrival. It has changed the atmosphere from stress to graciousness. An example is the way guests make way for each other and trade cameras for photographs at the huge model at the grand stairway. Ticketing and security are streamlined, and queuing areas have been opened up with a split center rail down a broad boulevard lined with huge photographs. This allows people to self- regulate and take selfies along the way.
This generous beginning sets the stage for a much more engaged and enjoyable journey throughout. The new second- floor galleries replace what was once a huge queuing area with exciting immersive experiences. One key marker of success is that stay times during low- visitation periods and high- visitation periods have largely evened out; people are so interested in the exhibition that they are no longer rushing up to see the view when they have the chance to do so.
The addition of viewing on the 80th floor reduced real wait times by as much as 45 minutes before the first view. During initial testing, the team also discovered that people appreciated the added variety of viewing experience. Many guests move back and forth between the exhibits and the view on this level, slowing the rush to the top during slow periods, and engaging guests more fully during busy periods. Its most prominent feature, the classic Observatory binoculars retrofitted for VR viewing of sites across New York, stands beneath a ceiling- mounted compass rose, adapted from the historic mural in the Fifth Avenue Lobby.
The 86th floor Observatory expanded to include previously unused spaces. With widened sightlines, new wayfinding features similar to the 80th Floor compass rose, and violet lighting that improves night vision, it provides a dramatically improved experience.
Perhaps the most breathtaking change, though, is the 102nd Floor, which was transformed from a relatively cramped space with small, waist- high windows to a vastly more open floorplate with a breathtaking view through floor to ceiling windows. Removing old air handling units opened the entire perimeter to wheelchairs, strollers, and easier guest access. The compass rose pattern is inlaid in a new marble floor as orientation to the panoramic view.
In addition to removing unnecessary obstructions and replacing solid walls with open mesh panels, the design team added a glass elevator and shaftway on 102 to further open the 360 degree view. The new elevator also provides thrilling glimpses of the interior of the building’s iconic mooring mast on the way up.
Beneath a sparkling compass rose, guests look through the building’s iconic binoculars, converted
to VR stereo viewers, to explore far-flung sights in New York City.
Tom Hennes
With completely refurbished and expanded interior space, new compass rose wayfinding, and dramatic night lighting, the 86th Floor Observatory provides stunning views of Manhattan.
Tom Hennes
Project Details
Design Team
Tom Hennes, (director of design & project principal), Jorge Martinez, (project director), Clare Hughes, (creative director), Aki Shigemori, (senior graphic designer)
Collaborators
Skanska (construction manager)
Intersection (technology integrator)
Kubik Maltbie (exhibit fabricator)
Diversified (hardware integrator)
Beneville Studios, IDEO (design consultants)
Squint/Opera (media designer)
Corgan (architect)
The Lighting Practice (lighting consultant)
JLL (owner’s representative)
Thorton Tomasetti, MEP (structural engineer)
Syska Hennessy Group (engineer)
Photo Credits
Moniteurs GmbH
Open Date
October 2019