The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets

Architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon – 1931

The spirit of modernity seemed alive and well in Oscar Bach when he set out to decorate the lobby of the Empire State building. At the height of the Great Depression, Oscar Bach had the good fortune of gaining this prestigious and demanding commission (competition for which must have been ferocious). The choice of Oscar Bach, one of New York’s finest metalists proved ideal. Though much of his work is inspired by past tradition, Oscar Bach was able to work as fluidly with duralumin (an aluminum copper manganese alloy similar in properties to stainless steel) in a contemporary style as he was with wrought iron in a Gothic revival style. 

A modern take on the grand Renaissance tradition of the large scale mural, Bach adorned the back focal wall with a soaring  panel of black marble inlaid with various metals. As described by Eugene Clute in his 1934 Architecture Magazine article, “This panel shows a representation of the building itself in cast duralumin, from the top of which spread light rays done in the same material wrought and inlaid with golden bronze. The vertical lines of the windows are in a black patine. There are outlines of the duralumin inlaid in the marble to represent boundaries in the map of New York and portions of adjoining states, which form the background of the design.” Around the lobby he mounted medallions depicting the trades and industries of modern building construction.

Scroll down to view images of the Empire State Building Lobby.

Views of the map of New York State

Detail of Clock

Views of the Medallions

For more about the Empire State Building Lobby, click here to visit Mike Leland’s Empire State Building Lobby page.