The land was leased to Rockefeller by Columbia for 87 years at a cost of $3 million per year. The original cost of purchasing the site, demolishing part of the old structures, and erecting new structures was expected to be $250 million. In fact, the total cost ended up being $400 million.
Just over 10 years later, in 1959, another huge disaster would strike the area when two buildings of the New York City Bicentennial Exhibition collapsed, killing 71 people.
In 2001, a fire that started on an upper floor of one of the buildings destroyed by the previous fire spread to another building, causing both to collapse.
Damage is estimated at $100 million. Total loss due to fire and collapse amounts to $600 million.
The current estimate for the construction project cost is $750 million.
However, there are some who claim the true cost was much higher. One source claims the final price tag was $1 billion.
Another says it was as high as $10 billion!
Whatever the case may be, Rockefeller Center remains one of the most expensive projects ever undertaken. It's hard to put a precise figure on it but we can say that the project lasted from 1930 to 1960 and that it contained about 20,000 m² of interior space.
The Rockefeller Center complex in New York City was envisioned in the late 1920s as an urban restoration project sponsored by John D. Rockefeller Jr. to help reinvigorate Midtown Manhattan. Rockefeller finally became engaged in the project, leasing the Columbia site for 87 years in 1928. The complex includes office buildings, shops, a theater, and a huge central tower that houses the NBC Television Network Broadcast Center.
The center's name comes from the fact that it is composed of eight large buildings built by different architects, but all designed by William Van Alen. These buildings are occupied by various companies including Time Warner, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and others.
Rockefeller initially wanted to call the complex "Manhattan Plaza", but this name was already taken by another urban renewal project in Kansas City, so he settled on "Rockefeller Center". He also planned to build a similar complex in London, but the project was canceled when he died in 1937.
As part as his commitment to bring life to downtown streetscapes, Rockefeller also developed neighboring blocks by clearing out store fronts and building more open spaces. He also designed several public parks, including one next to his own home on Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C.
In conclusion, John D. Rockefeller Jr. built Rockefeller Center because he wanted to create a new landmark for Manhattan.
Columbia University, the site's then-owner, leased the land to John D. Rockefeller Jr., the man behind the complex's creation... Rockefeller Center... in 1928.
| Location | Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°45′31″N 73°58′45″WCoordinates: 40°45′31″N 73°58′45″W |
| Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Significant dates |
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Later additions include 75 Rockefeller Plaza, positioned at the north end of Rockefeller Plaza across 51st Street, and four International Style buildings on the west side of Sixth Avenue. Columbia University, the site's then-owner, leased the land to John D. Rockefeller Jr., the man behind the complex's construction, in 1928. He sold his interest in the company that same year, so he could focus on other endeavors.
Rockefeller Center was designed by William Van Alen with Arnold Schoenberg's composition "A Musical Apartment House" used as a model. The complex features large open spaces surrounded by skyscrapers, which provided the perfect setting for retail shops and restaurants. It also had an internal transportation system called the Rockwell System, which included elevators, escalators, and moving sidewalks. In addition, there were two giant video screens located at the center, facing each other, that showed movies all day long.
The complex was built over several years, beginning in late 1929. It was opened by President Herbert Hoover in December 1931. The opening ceremony was held on the 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American poet and philosopher. More than 10,000 people attended this event.
On January 1, 1960, NBC moved its New York City headquarters from 30 Rock to Rockefeller Center. The building now houses the NBC News division of the network.
The overall building cost is $1.5 billion. The main structure, which is called the "dome", was created by OMA and made of transparent polycarbonate material for its skyscraper shape to let in as much light as possible. The tip of the dome reaches 774 feet above sea level and has 2,722 square feet of living space inside it. The opening ceremony for the Burj Khalifa took place on January 4, 2010, when Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, officially opened the tower's doors.
The building is also famous for having the first ever Starbucks location in Dubai. It opened in February 2010.
Starbucks said that the opening of the store helped fuel a surge in tourism and shopping downtown. Before the store opened, only 500 people per day visited Dubai's central business district. But this number more than doubled after the opening, with more than 1,000 people visiting daily. The company also reported that sales at its nearby store increased by 80% after the opening of the Khalifa Tower branch.
The first structure was dedicated in September 1932, and the majority of the complex was finished by 1935. Although Rockefeller Center was formally finished on November 2, 1939, the final three buildings were constructed between 1936 and 1940.
Rockefeller Center took ten years to complete. It was said to be the largest private construction project in history at that time. Around 10,000 people worked on the project during its lifetime.
In terms of cost, it was estimated to have been worth $50 million in 1938 ($250 million in 2007). However, due to the Great Depression, most of the work was done using cheap labor. In addition, some features such as windows and doors were reused from other projects.
It's not known who exactly designed Rockefeller Center, but it has been suggested that Piet Oudolf may have played a role. He published an article in 1937 where he talked about planting trees in circles as a way to create unity in the midst of chaos. This idea would later be used by another designer named Eero Saarinen in his design for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
Toward the end of World War II, Congress passed the Servicemen's Act in 1944 which provided federal assistance to state and local governments for education, housing, health, and other services needed by returning servicemen.
The overall cost of the building's construction and display installations is $540 million. The Smithsonian Institution and federal monies both contributed to this figure. The museum opened its doors to the public on July 1, 2009.
It took more than five years to complete the National Museum of American History. It is located on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW in Washington, D.C.
The estimated cost to build the museum was $500 million. Government funding accounted for half of that number with the remainder paid for by private donations.
Of that amount, $110 million came from the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. $40 million came from Congress through the Congressional Budget Office. And the remaining $190 million came from private sources such as individuals, corporations, and foundations.
The total cost included $7 million for site preparation, $77 million for construction, and $9 million for installation of equipment and furnishings.
The museum occupies 30,000 square feet (2,813 m²) of space on a footprint of 860,000 square feet (78,300 m²).
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