Empire State

Inspired by the most recognisable skyscraper on earth, this architectural object interprets the Fifth Avenue entrance of the Empire State Building — William F. Lamb's 1931 Art Deco landmark — as a refined, sculptural form.

Rather than the tower itself, this piece focuses on the columned doorway through which most visitors first encounter the building: the Art Deco detailing at its most intimate, human scale.

Read the full Empire State architecture guide

An Art Deco entrance, interpreted as an object

The Fifth Avenue entrance concentrates the Empire State Building's Art Deco language into a single, disciplined composition: fluted columns, a crisp geometric doorway, and the fine vertical lines that Lamb carried up through the tower above. Rather than attempting the full 102-storey silhouette, this object isolates that entrance so its detailing can be appreciated as a piece of sculpture in its own right.

This architectural model focuses on the building's defining characteristics:

• the fluted, vertically emphatic columns flanking the doorway
• the crisp, geometric surround of the entrance itself
• the fine ironwork of the door, rendered in etched nickel silver

By reducing the building to its entrance alone, the object allows the proportion and detail of Lamb's Art Deco design to be appreciated up close, independently of the tower's scale.

Why the Empire State Building's entrance works as an architectural model

The entrance translates especially well into object form because it is a self-contained composition, with its own strong vertical rhythm and legible geometry, at a scale where the fine metalwork of the doorway remains the star of the piece rather than being dwarfed by 102 storeys above it. These characteristics remain powerful when isolated from the tower. The object feels both architectural and sculptural — an intimate counterpart to the building's famous silhouette.

Craft, materials, and finish

Each Empire State object is crafted with an emphasis on material honesty and precision. The plaster finish picks out the fluting of the entrance columns and the crisp lines of Lamb's stonework, while the etched nickel-silver door and window frames render the fine metalwork of the original entrance against the smooth cast form. The result is an object that sits comfortably within architectural interiors and design studios, on bookshelves and workspaces, and in collections focused on Art Deco or twentieth-century American architecture. It is equally suited to architects, designers, and anyone with an affection for New York City's skyline.

A piece of New York City history

The Empire State Building was raised in just thirteen months at the height of a fierce rivalry to build the world's tallest skyscraper, and held that title for nearly forty years. It is a National Historic Landmark and a New York City individual landmark, voted America's favourite piece of architecture in a 2007 American Institute of Architects poll. As an object, this piece offers a way to engage with that history in tactile, physical form, focused on the entrance visitors have passed through since 1931.

Product details

• Subject: Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue entrance, Manhattan, New York
• Architectural style: Art Deco
• Original completion: 1931
• Architect: William F. Lamb (Shreve, Lamb & Harmon)
• Designed and made by: Chisel & Mouse

Learn more about the Empire State Building

For a detailed exploration of the building's architecture, history, and cultural legacy, see our in-depth guide:

Empire State Architecture: William F. Lamb and the Race to the Sky