The Empire State Building held the record as the [V 002 / tallest building in the world] from 1931 to 1970, when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, then under construction, reached 1,350 feet. A TV tower was later added to one of the buildings, making it stretch to 1,601 feet. The Center, which cost $600 million to build - 15 times the cost of the Empire State Building - was dedicated on April 4, 1973. It offers 230 acres of space or 10 million square feet, five times that of the Empire State Building.
The Pentagon, however, is still the world's largest office building - and in 1992 it was announced that this building would be expanded further.
[L3 420 / The World Trade Center] has not hurt the Empire State Building's popularity. It may be taller, but it doesn't have the same timeless appeal - nor does it offer such a centralized view of New York City. Nor, for that matter, does the Sears Tower in Chicago, one of the record-holders among the [L3 225 / tallest buildings in the world].
