The Chrysler Building

From the beautiful steel crown to its hand-laid brickwork, the Chrysler Building towers above East 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The Chrysler Building is known worldwide for its spectacular architecture and reflects the long history of skyscraper construction in New York City.

With more people moving to large cities, the amount of land available for development became more expensive. Large cities east of the Mississippi River began growing up instead growing out. Taller buildings were seen as a more efficient use of available land. Since the completion of the first skyscraper in Chicago in 1885, a rush of construction began in cities like St. Louis and New York.

Amid this atmosphere of intense competition, ground was broken for and construction started on the Chrysler Building in September 1928. The original design called a shorter structure though the plans were eventually amended to increase the height from just over 800 feet to 925 feet. The change of design would make the Chrysler Building the tallest building in the world.

The same plans that called for a shorter building also included some uniquely beautiful features. The most prominent feature is the stainless steel crown that makes up the top quarter of the structure. The original design for the crown called for large glass corners but the idea was shelved in favor of stainless steel cladding. The sunburst appearance of the crown is accentuated by series of triangular windows. Combined with specially designed exterior lighting, the interior lighting of the windows gives the Chrysler Building a uniquely modern look.

The Chrysler Building is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco design, from the striking exterior design to the posh interior. The lobby features beautiful marble walls and ceiling murals. The upper floors of the building’s exterior feature eagle form gargoyles and accents designed to resemble car parts from the Chrysler Motors line. The building itself is said to have been designed as a reflection of the industrial age that had begun to sweep the world during the late 1800’s.

The claim to the title as the tallest building in the world did not last long for this Art Deco icon. Just eleven months after the Chrysler Building was officially opened, the Empire State became the tallest building in the world. The Empire State Building retained the title from 1931 until completion of the Building One of the World Trade Center in 1972.

The Chrysler Building once sported a visitors lobby located on the 71st floor providing a spectacular view of the city. The viewing gallery remained open to the public until 1945 when the upper seven floors of the building were converted for use as mechanical spaces.