NEW YORK, Aug 23: A soaring new office tower in New York would disturb views of the Empire State Building and diminish the signature symbol of the city's skyline, the famous skyscraper's managers said on Monday at city council hearings.

Vornado Realty Trust's proposed 67-storey building, known as 15 Penn Plaza, would be built two blocks away and stand nearly as tall as the landmark that has stood largely unobstructed in midtown Manhattan since it was built in 1931.

“This is not about banning tall buildings, but about preserving the very uniqueness of the New York City skyline,”

the Empire State Building said in a statement. “The Empire

State Building is the defining building on the city's skyline, and its single most important landmark.”

The newcomer would be acceptable if it were shorter and with more setbacks, the managers say.—Reuters