A view of the Alfred E. Smith Building

The Alfred E. Smith Building, officially known as the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building and sometimes called simply the Smith Building, is a structure located in downtown Albany, New York across the street from the New York State Capitol. The building's namesake, Alfred E. Smith, was a four-term governor of New York State and the Democratic Party's nomination for the 1928 Presidential Election. The skyscraper has 34 stories and at 388 feet is Albany's second tallest structure (after the Erastus Corning Tower). Completed in 1928, it houses offices of the New York State government. The building underwent an extensive renovation that began in 2002. This modernization, which cost at least $103 million, is now nearly finished. Image File history File links AlfredESmithBuilding. ... Image File history File links AlfredESmithBuilding. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Albany County and the State of New York Coordinates , Government Country   State     County United States   New York     Albany Founded Incorporated 1614 1686 Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Geographical characteristics Area     City 56. ... New York State Capitol The New York State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. ... Al Smith waves to crowds, 1928 Alfred Emanuel Al Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was Governor of New York, and Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928. ... A governor is a governing official, usually the executive (at least nominally, to different degrees also politically and administratively) of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the Head of state; furthermore the title applies to officials with a similar mandate as representatives of a chartered company which has... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Democratic Party may refer to one of many political parties of diverse political orientation: Democratic Parties United States—Democratic Party (United States) Albania—Democratic Alliance Party, Democratic Party (Albania), and Democratic Party of Albania Andorra—Democratic Party (Andorra) Australia—Australian Democrats Benin—Democratic Party (Benin) Bosnia and Herzegovina—Croatian Democratic... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Prior to reconstruction, the building was home to the state Comptroller's Office. With the renovation now complete, the new tenants include the New York State Department of Civil Service, Department of State, Banking Department, State Liquor Authority, and Division of the Budget.

Side view of the building looking up from street level

The Alfred E. Smith Building has quite a few distinctive features. These include the engraving of the names of all 62 New York State counties around the street-level facade and an Art Deco lobby with a mural depicting famous New Yorkers. A new underground tunnel connects it to the Capitol. The skyscraper is constructed of limestone and granite, and offers spectacular views of Albany and the nearby landscape. West facade of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral A facade (or façade) (Pronounced fa-sa-de) is generally the exterior of a building — especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. ... Asheville City Hall. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ...

References

• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building at Emporis Buildings

• "Modernizing a landmark is a taxing task: Smith building renovation requires an eye for detail along with lots of cash." Elizabeth Benjamin. Times Union. November 6, 2005.