The Empire State Building, one of New York's most iconic landmarks, has had state of the art LED lighting installed to replace the old incandescent lighting system that lit up the skyscraper since the 1970s.

"New York City is the skyline of the world, and the centre of the skyline of New York City is the Empire State building," said Anthony Malkin, president of the company which supervises the iconic Art Deco building.

The new lighting, which is capable of creating 15 million shades of colour in different shapes, debuted on Monday, with the display digitally synchronised to a rendition of the song "New York State of Mind" by singer Alicia Keys.

The weathered old floodlights haven't been discarded or forgotten - they fill a vacant space on the building's 72nd floor.

What will be done with them is a secret - for now.

The Empire State remains one of the top destinations for visitors to New York City with its art deco architecture, compelling history, and panoramic views of Manhattan, New Jersey and Brooklyn.

Films like King Kong have put the Empire State on the big screen and contributed to its status as a true New York City icon.

The building is no stranger to innovation.

It was rapidly constructed at a pace of four and a half storeys per week, and officially opened on May 1, 1931.

In 2009, the building's operators shelled out US$120 million (RM366.42 million) on a variety of environmental improvements, including a US$13.2 million (RM40.31 million) investment in new green technologies.