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Empire State Building has always boggled my mind, with its speed. Built faster than most houses today, biggest building in the city by far, in the middle of the city, amazing endurance. I need to read more about the process. I wish governments everywhere learned a few lessons from it.

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I also remember that the construction site did not have a stellar safety record. It was typical for the industry back then, though. In the middle of the Great Depression, a builder would likely not be too picky and reject a chance to work on such a high-profile project when unemployment was high.

less work days probably also means less worker casualities

It was during the Great Depression. Hiring and getting stuff delivered was really fast if you had money.

Steel-framed structures go up fast. One floor every day or two is normal. Faster is possible. Here's a prefab skyscraper going up in 15 days.[1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvmru5JmXk

This is incredibly inspiring

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