Slick secret of mysterious tunnel below Empire State Building finally revealed

Daily Mail​

08-05-2025

Secrets behind the world's most iconic skyscraper - rising majestically in the heart of New York City - have finally been unveiled in exclusive interviews with the Daily Mail.
Towering, bustling and iconic for a 94 years, The Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan has stood as a beacon of human progress and innovation, evolving with the times to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern world.
'The Empire State Building has a mythic proportion to it, and that is what draws people to it,' Tony Malkin, chairman CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, said in the latest episode of the Daily Mail's World's Busiest Buildings.
Captivating more than 15,000 visitors daily - many journeying from across the globe just to see its 103-story silhouette - the skyscraper, remarkably constructed in just over a year, has endured as an international treasure for nearly a century.
'We get people from all over the world - Australia, New Zealand, Africa, London - all over the world,' Renita Edmond, VIP ambassador of the Empire State Building, said.
'They want to come here, to the tallest, most iconic building in the world,' she added. 'They want to come to New York, the most exciting place in the world. My job is to make that happen.'
'We can get about 14 to 15,000 people a day, and some people cry because they're so happy. They always have smiles on their faces just to see New York from a different perspective.'
Within the walls of the world-famous skyscraper lies 2.8 million-square-feet of functional offices, including a breathtaking 100,000 square-foot observatory and a 60,000 square-feet dedicated to restaurants and modern amenities.
'It is a broadcast center for radio and television,' Malkin explained. 'We have airlines that have their offices here, employment agencies, financial tech, social media service firms, engineering firms, law firms and a tremendous number of multi-floor tenants.'
'It actually fulfills a number of commercial purposes, but to people's minds, it's the dream,' he added.
With a building so big, even managing the building's temperature is a precise operation, handled by a dedicated team of engineers who meticulously oversee everything - from heating and air conditioning, to plumbing and safety systems.
Hidden in the basement, a secret wind tunnel designed to channel fresh air for the building's ventilation system stretches all the way to Fifth Avenue. In another unexpected twist, a natural stream flows beneath the structure.
'Be careful sir, be very careful. It gets a little slick down here,' warned Nick Martone, assistant chief engineer of the Empire State Building, as he guided the producer through the dark, damp and narrow confines of the rarely seen wind tunnel.
'There is a natural stream that runs underneath this building, so that's what a lot of the water is,' Martone said. 'You can see it running through some of the walls here.'
'When I was a helper I had to clean this place. They sent me down here with a broom and a shovel, and kind of put you through your paces,' he added.
'Pay your dues down in the basement?' the producer joked.
Martone chuckled and replied, 'Yeah, pay your dues, you know, but that's okay.'
Among the most celebrated spaces in the building is the 102nd floor, home to a stunning 360-degree observation deck that offers panoramic views of the Big Apple - an awe-inspiring experience that draws in millions of visitors a year.
'The Empire State Building Observatory has been rated by Trip Advisor as the number one attraction in the world,' Malkin said.
'We tie in that international iconography, that mythology around the Empire State Building, this whole experience of time with dreams and aspirations, and we give the kids what they'd like to see, we give the adults what they'd like to see.'
For long-time staffers like Edmond - who has spent an incredible 26 years working inside the building - the greatest reward is witnessing New York through the eyes of visitors experiencing it for the first time.
'It's very touching, so to speak,' she said. 'I look in New York in a whole different way. I've lived here all my life. I was born and raised here. Now I see New York in their eyes.'
From the observation deck, visitors can gaze out over iconic landmarks such as LaGuardia and JFK airports, Central Park, and more - offering a sky-high perspective of New York's most recognizable sights.
'This thing was built in 13 and a half months, and it triumphed over adversity. It was so outrageous when it was done,' Malkin said.
'But it goes beyond that, because they actually connect with it emotionally, and that's an amazing thing,' he added. 'There are very few physical objects with which people connect emotionally - which are not naturally derived.'
'Grand Canyon, the Alps, you think about that, the Empire State Building is right up there with those connections.'
A major goal of the Empire State Building has always been to evolve with the times, transforming itself into a contemporary marvel while remaining firmly rooted in the heart of New York City.
'We're one of the most energy efficient buildings of any age in the world,' Malkin said, adding how water conservation efforts, recycling and composting has helped put the Empire State Building on the map.
Adding to its modern, eco-conscious initiatives, the Empire State Building also supports urban biodiversity projects - with active beehives nestled on its sixth floor, quietly contributing to the city's environmental health.
'They harvest the honey every six months or so, and they send some down, and we incorporate that into our dishes when we can,' Morgan Jarrett, the executive chef at the building's flagship restaurant, State Grill and Bar, told the Daily Mail.
Though the 100th anniversary of the Empire State Building is quickly approaching, the dedicated crew within ensures it remains a lasting symbol of New York, preserving its iconic status for generations to come.
'The building is 94 years young, and we don't tear it down. We improve it continually,' Malkin said.
'Things will change, but the constant will be that the Empire State Building will maintain its unique awareness as a brand worldwide, and it will maintain its preeminence as a place of work, and it will maintain its preeminence in culture from that perspective - that's pretty exciting.'