THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WILL SOON LOSE THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING. TWO GIANT SKYSCRAPERS, JUTTING 1350 FEET (400 METERS), INTO THE AIR. WILL GO INTO CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR WHEN WORK BEGINS ON NEW YORK CITY'S WORLD TRADE CENTRE.

THE TWIN BUILDING FORM THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CENTRE WHICH WILL COVER AN AREA OF 16 ACRES. THEY'LL BE SURROUNDED BY A COMPLEX OF 70 FEET HIGH, (21 METERS), BUILDINGS GROUPED AROUND A 5-ACRE PLAZA.

THE 350-MILLION DOLLAR CENTRE, (125 MILLION POUNDS) WILL HOUSE EXHIBITION HALLS. SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, AND A HOTEL. IT WILL GATHER GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE ACTIVITIES IN THE IMPORT-EXPORT FIELD NOW WIDELY SCATTERED OVER THE NEW YORK AREA.

THE NEW SKYSCRAPERS WILL BE 100 FEET HIGHER THAN THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING BUILT IN THE 1930'S AND WHICH HAS A 222-FEET HIGH TELEVISION TOWER PERCHED ATOP IT.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW WORLD TRADE CENTRE IS DUE TO BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR AFTER EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE ARE CLEARED. THE FIRST STAGE SHOULD BE FINISHED BY 1968 AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT BY 1970.