Empire State Realty Trust unveils new observatory entrance

Manhattan, NY The Empire State Building (ESB), owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., unveiled the first phase of its fully reimagined observatory, the new entrance at 20 West 34th St. Part of the decade-long Empire State ReBuilding project, the new entrance provides visitors to ESB’s observatories with a larger entrance and seamless flow solely for observatory guests – repositioning 4.2 million visitors from ESB’s Fifth Ave. entrance, and improving the experience for tenants.

The new entrance is the first phase of a redevelopment project which will be completed by the end of 2019. Every detail of the fully modernized guest journey has been inspired by feedback from ESB’s most valued participants – its guests, tenants, and the entire ESB community. It was brought to life by a cross-disciplinary, best-in-class team from the arts and architecture to technology and entertainment industries, to conceive and curate the fully-modernized masterpiece: Thinc Design, Beneville Studios, Ideo, Squint / Opera, JLL, Intersection, Diversified, Skanska, Kubik Maltbie, Thornton Tomasetti,  The Lighting Practice, Corgan, and and Syska Hennessy Group.

In the new entrance, guests are treated to more space, organized flow, and hints of what will come from the next phases of the redevelopment, from digital hosts to a new lighting ceremony installation. Guests will ascend a grand staircase which splits around a two-story architectural model of ESB. 

New electronic, self-service ticket kiosks simplify the presentation of Guests’ choices of the myriad of options for their visit.

“Our leadership in innovation continues with this transformative reimagination of our entrance, the first phase of the completely new Observatory experience,” said Anthony Malkin, chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. “We have a high level of confidence that our work will increase customer satisfaction immensely and drive bottom-line performance. We have already transformed the Empire State Building into the Urban Campus within a building, one of the most modern and energy-efficient buildings in the world. Now, ESB raises the bar for the Guest experience to make it best-in-class, bar none.” Malkin added, “Stay tuned—there’s more to come!”

Soaring 1,454 ft. above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions as the region’s #1 tourist destination.