Erastus Corning Tower

Last updated
Erastus Corning Tower
CorningTowerPanorama.jpg
A view of the Corning Tower from the north
Erastus Corning Tower
General information
TypeOffices
Location Albany, New York, United States
Coordinates 42°38′56″N73°45′35″W / 42.648997°N 73.759836°W / 42.648997; -73.759836
Completed1973
Height
Roof589 ft (180 m)
Technical details
Floor count42
Design and construction
Architect(s) Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz
Website
empirestateplaza.ny.gov/corning-tower-observation-deck

The Erastus Corning Tower, also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower or simply the Corning Tower, is a skyscraper located in downtown Albany, New York. Completed in 1973 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, the state office building is part of the Empire State Plaza. At 589 feet (180 m) and 44 stories [1] in height, it is the tallest skyscraper in the state of New York outside of New York City as well as the tallest building in mainland New York. [lower-alpha 1] Erastus Corning 2nd, the building's namesake, was the mayor of Albany for over 40 years from 1941 to 1983. The tower was dedicated to him in March 1983 during his hospitalization. Before that dedication, it was known as the "Tower Building".

Contents

The Corning Tower houses the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of General Services. Two New York State Department of Transportation traffic cameras are located on the building to monitor nearby traffic conditions. From 2000 to 2004, it was the tallest structure in the World Almanac's list of "Other Tall Buildings in North American Cities".

Observation deck

An observation deck is located on the Corning Tower's 42nd floor. It offers expansive views of Albany, the Hudson River, and the surrounding area. Panels below the windows give information about the visible landmarks. The observation deck, however, does not feature a 360-degree view because it has no windows on the west side. A nonstop elevator to the 42nd floor reaches a speed of 26 km/h (16 MPH). The deck is open to the public for free Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors can access the observation deck via the plaza or concourse levels. Upon taking office in 2010, Governor Andrew Cuomo eliminated a photo ID requirement. [2]

Nearby attractions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hancock Center</span> Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois

The John Hancock Center is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transamerica Pyramid</span> Skyscraper in San Francisco

The Transamerica Pyramid is a pyramid-shaped 48-story modernist skyscraper in San Francisco, California, United States, and the second tallest building in the San Francisco skyline. Located at 600 Montgomery Street between Clay and Washington Streets in the city's Financial District, it was the tallest building in San Francisco from its completion in 1972 until 2018 when the newly-constructed Salesforce Tower surpassed its height. The building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, which moved its U.S. headquarters to Baltimore, Maryland. The building is still associated with the company by being depicted on the company's logo. Designed by architect William Pereira and built by Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company, the building stands at 853 feet (260 m). On completion in 1972 it was the eighth-tallest building in the world. It is also a popular tourist site. In 2020, the building was sold to NYC investor Michael Shvo, who in 2022 hired Norman Foster to redesign the interiors and renovate the building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Center</span> Skyscraper in Seattle, US

The Columbia Center, formerly named the Bank of America Tower and Columbia Seafirst Center, is a skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The 76-story structure is the tallest building in the state of Washington, reaching a height of 933 ft (284 m). At the time of its completion, the Columbia Center was the tallest structure on the West Coast; as of 2017, it is the fourth-tallest, behind buildings in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rialto Towers</span> Skyscraper in Melbourne Australia

Rialto is a skyscraper located at 525 Collins Street, in the western side of the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. It was the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere when it was constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai World Financial Center</span> Supertall skyscraper in Shanghai, China

The Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company, with Leslie E. Robertson Associates as its structural engineer and China State Construction Engineering Corp and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co. as its main contractor. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and ground-floor shopping malls. Park Hyatt Shanghai is the tower's hotel component, comprising 174 rooms and suites occupying the 79th to the 93rd floors, which at the time of completion was the highest hotel in the world. It is now the third-highest hotel in the world after the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which occupies floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shun Hing Square</span> Supertall skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Shun Hing Square, also known as "Di Wang Tower" (地王大厦) is a 384-meter (1,260 ft)-tall skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. Upon its completion in 1996, it became the tallest building in China, until being surpassed by CITIC Plaza in the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal Tower</span> Skyscraper in Cleveland, Ohio

Terminal Tower is a 52-story, 215.8 m (708 ft), landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in the downtown core of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Built during the skyscraper boom of the 1920s and 1930s, it was the second-tallest building in the world when it was completed. Terminal Tower stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City from its completion in 1927 until 1964. It was the tallest building in the state of Ohio until the completion of Key Tower in 1991, and remains the second-tallest building in the state. The building is part of the Tower City Center mixed-use development, and its major tenants include Forest City Enterprises, which maintained its corporate headquarters there until 2018, and Riverside Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">85 Sky Tower</span> Skyscraper in Lingya, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

85 Sky Tower, formerly known as the T & C Tower or Tuntex Sky Tower, is an 85-story skyscraper in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high. An antenna increases the pinnacle height to 378 m (1,240 ft). Constructed from 1994 to 1997 by the now-defunct Tuntex Group, it is the tallest building in Kaohsiung, and the 2nd tallest in Taiwan after the Taipei 101.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erastus Corning 2nd</span> American politician (1909–1983)

Erastus Corning 2nd was an American politician. A Democrat, Corning served as the 72nd mayor of Albany, New York from 1942 to 1983, when Albany County was controlled by one of the last classic urban political machines in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Observation deck</span> Elevated sightseeing platform

An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbour Centre</span> Mixed-use skyscraper in Vancouver, British Columbia

Harbour Centre is a skyscraper in the central business district of Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which opened in 1977. The "Lookout" tower atop the office building makes it one of the tallest structures in Vancouver and a prominent landmark on the city's skyline. With its 360-degree viewing deck, it also serves as a tourist attraction with the Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, offering a physically unobstructed view of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire State Plaza</span> Building complex in Albany, New York

The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred E. Smith Building</span>

The Alfred E. Smith Building, known officially as the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building and sometimes called simply the Smith Building, is a structure located in downtown Albany, New York across the street from the New York State Capitol and One Commerce Plaza. The building's namesake, Alfred Emmanuel Smith, was a four-term governor of New York and the Democratic Party's nomination for the 1928 presidential election. The Art Deco skyscraper has 34 stories and is Albany's second tallest structure at 388 feet. Completed in 1928, it houses offices of the New York State government. It was built originally with an open-air observation deck on the 31st floor, 350 feet (110 m) above the ground; this deck was closed in 1976 when the enclosed Corning Tower Observation Deck on the 42nd floor, 589 feet (180 m) up, was opened. An extensive renovation of the building began in 2002. This modernization, which cost at least $103 million, is now finished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azrieli Center</span> Skyscraper complex in Tel Aviv, Israel

Azrieli Center is a complex of three skyscrapers in Tel Aviv. At the base of the complex lies a large shopping mall. The complex was designed by Israeli-American architect Eli Attia. After Attia and the developer of the complex David Azrieli fell out, completion of the project was passed on to the Tel Aviv firm of Moore Yaski Sivan Architects.

The Millennium Tower is a planned skyscraper whose construction will start in 2025. When completed in 2030, it will be the European Union's second tallest building and Germany's tallest building. It will contain Germany's tallest observation deck with a panoramic view over Frankfurt. The tower will have a height of 288 m (945 ft) and 67 stories. The architect of the tower is Ferdinand Heide and the client is CA Immo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Bayfront Plaza</span> Proposed skyscraper in Miami, Florida

One Bayfront Plaza is a proposed supertall skyscraper in Miami, Florida, U.S. The building, construction of which has been approved, would stand at 1,049 feet (320 m), with 93 floors,[A] becoming the tallest building in Miami and Florida. One Bayfront Plaza would primarily consist of offices and hotel space, but also would include a retail mall, condominiums, and parking garage on the lower levels, as well as possibly an observation deck at the top. The entire project consists of over 1,400,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of Class A office and hotel space, as well as a total building area of over 4,000,000 square feet (371,612 m2) including the large podium. One Bayfront Plaza is the first skyscraper over 1,000 feet (305 m) to be approved for construction in Miami. The building's primary advocate is real estate developer Tibor Hollo, who has won several awards for his 55 years as a developer in Miami, and is currently the president of Florida East Coast Realty.

The history of Albany, New York from 1942 to 1983 begins with the beginning of the tenure of Erastus Corning 2nd as mayor and ends with Corning's death in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30 Hudson Yards</span> Skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

30 Hudson Yards is a supertall skyscraper on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Located near Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, and the Penn Station area, the building is part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, a plan to redevelop the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's West Side Yard. It is the sixth-tallest building in New York City and the eighth-tallest in the United States as of November 2022.

References

Notes

  1. "Erastus Corning Tower". Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Empire State Plaza: Corning Tower Observation Deck". New York State Office of General Services (OGS). Archived from the original on 2018-09-19.
  1. Most of New York’s tallest buildings are located on the island of Manhattan.

Sources