The comparison
Two of America's most iconic buildings: the 1931 Art Deco standard-bearer against the 1973 Brutalist record-breaker. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) held the world's tallest title from 1973 to 1998. Empire State Building held it from 1931 to 1972. By honest height, Willis Tower leads at 412.4m vs Empire State's 373.1m. By Vanity Ratio, Empire State wins decisively: 2.1% vs 6.7%.
Architectural top vs Honest Height
Empire State Building - 2.1% vanity
Willis Tower - 6.7% vanity
Occupied height. Vanity (non-occupiable structure).Vanity Ratio explained →
The honest take
Empire State Building's 2.1% Vanity Ratio is one of the lowest in the entire top 100. It was built with a mooring mast for dirigibles - the original functional justification for the antenna. The mast was never used for that purpose, but the spirit of functional architecture carried through to the rest of the building. Willis Tower's 6.7% ratio includes two rooftop antenna towers added in 1982 - these extend the marketed height without adding occupiable space. Both buildings are significantly more honest than the current generation of supertalls.
See also: methodology · vanity height · Honest 100