Wender·Vista
Empire State Building
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
in midtown Manhattan, at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street

Empire State Building

— — the spire the city still measures itself against.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Art Deco limestone tower, 1,454 feet to the tip of the antenna, opened on May 1, 1931 at the corner of 34th and Fifth. It was the tallest building in the world for forty years and is still the building New Yorkers point to first when the skyline lights up. The mast was built to moor airships; instead it became the antenna that shaped the postwar skyline.

from the studio
Empire State Building
— bring it home

Empire State Building, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Empire State Building

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Empire State Building occupies the block bounded by Fifth Avenue, West 33rd Street, and West 34th Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City. The tower rises 1,250 feet to the 102nd-floor observatory and 1,454 feet to the tip of the antenna. Designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and built by the Starrett Brothers and Eken in just 410 days during the Great Depression, it opened on May 1, 1931. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and is owned by Empire State Realty Trust.

— informed by Wikipedia, Official site
— the stone

The exterior is clad in Indiana limestone and granite, set against vertical stainless-steel mullions that catch the light along the building's full height. The Art Deco lobby, restored in 2009, is finished in marble from Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany; a gilded aluminium relief of the tower covers the wall above the reception desk. Above the 81st floor the building steps back to a slimmer mast originally engineered to moor dirigibles. The mast was reskinned in stainless steel in 1953 when it became a television antenna.

— informed by Wikipedia: Architecture
— the visit

The main observatory on the 86th floor opens 365 days a year, with first entry at 9 a.m. and last entry at 11 p.m. on most evenings. The 102nd-floor observatory, fully glassed since 2019, requires a separate upgrade. Standard adult admission to the 86th floor is around 44 USD, with timed-entry tickets recommended. The line is shortest in the first hour and after 9 p.m. The tower lights run on a published schedule that changes nightly for holidays, civic events, and sports finals.

— informed by ESB Observatory
— where
United States · Manhattan, New York City, New York
— position
40.7484° N · 73.9857° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Herald Square
public square
at the lake
Macy's Herald Square
flagship department store
1 km N
New York Public Library (main branch)
library
1 km N
Bryant Park
park
1 km S
Madison Square Park
park
N
Empire State Building
Herald Square
Macy's Herald Square
New York Public Library (main branch)
Bryant Park
Madison Square Park
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Empire State Building — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

At 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, in the Midtown South neighbourhood of Manhattan, New York City. The Herald Square subway hub is one block west.

The roof of the 102nd-floor observatory stands at 1,250 feet (381 metres). The tip of the antenna reaches 1,454 feet (443.2 metres). It was the world's tallest building from 1931 until the World Trade Center surpassed it in 1971.

Construction began on March 17, 1930 and finished in just 410 days; the tower opened on May 1, 1931. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and built by the Starrett Brothers and Eken.

Empire State is the historical nickname for New York State. The developer John J. Raskob and former governor Al Smith chose the name to tie the tower to the state's identity.

The lights run on a published schedule that changes nightly for holidays, civic milestones, sports championships, and charitable causes. The current schedule is published on the building's official website.

Yes. The 86th-floor observatory opens 365 days a year, with first entry at 9 a.m. and last entry at 11 p.m. on most evenings. The 102nd-floor observatory is a paid upgrade.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for native New Yorkers, transplants, and travellers whose first city memory is that skyline. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note suits an office, entryway, or city apartment.

The amber, indigo, and stone palette sits well in Art Deco revival, classic prewar, and warm modern rooms. It reads beautifully against dark wood panelling, painted plaster, or brick.

Yes. Art Deco revival has been steady in New York interiors for several years, leaning on stepped geometry and metallic accents. A Large or 4-tile Mural anchors a wall built around brass and walnut.

A single Large covers most consoles. Above a standard three-seat sofa, a 4-tile Mural reads as one piece; on a long wall, a 9-tile Mural carries the room.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installations near water; the Glossy finish is reserved for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish, so it will not fade with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in the studio's own visual language and finished in-house in Knoxville. There is no licensed or third-party imagery in the catalogue.

— if this one stayed with you

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