The Chrysler Building: Stainless Steel Crown of Art Deco
Why is it significant?
Tilt your head all the way back and marvel at the shimmering seventy-seven-story masterpiece of the Chrysler Building. Designed by architect William Van Alen for automotive titan Walter P.
Key Facts
| Place | The Chrysler Building: Stainless Steel Crown of Art Deco |
|---|---|
| Address | 405 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10174, USA |
| Geo Coordinates | 40.75160, -73.97530 |
| Part of Walk | New York: Midtown Art Deco and Grand Central Cathedrals |
| Generated | Generated |
Tilt your head all the way back and marvel at the shimmering seventy-seven-story masterpiece of the Chrysler Building. Designed by architect William Van Alen for automotive titan Walter P. Chrysler and completed in 1930, this is universally recognized as the ultimate expression of American Art Deco architecture. The magnificent spire is clad in Enduro KA-2 stainless steel, patterned with radiant sunburst arches and triangular vaulted windows that catch the morning sun like a diamond tiara.
Examine the sixty-first floor setbacks where colossal stainless steel eagles thrust out into space, modeled after Chrysler car hood ornaments. Lower down on the thirty-first floor, winged radiator caps and abstract hubcap motifs line the brickwork, celebrating the triumphs of modern automotive engineering. During the furious Race for the Sky in 1929, Van Alen secretly assembled a 125-foot steel needle inside the fire tower, winching it into place in just ninety minutes to steal the title of world's tallest building from 40 Wall Street. When twilight descends across Manhattan, the illuminated triangular windows of the spire glow with ethereal crystalline brightness, casting a romantic silver beacon across the East River that has enchanted aviation pilots and night owls for nearly a century.
Step into the triangular lobby to experience one of the most lavish interiors ever created. The walls are paneled in African red granite and Moroccan marble, while the ceiling features Edward Trumbull's enormous mural Transport and Human Endeavor, depicting airplanes, assembly lines, and the very workers who built the tower.
Although the Empire State Building surpassed its height just eleven months later, the Chrysler Building remains the undisputed aesthetic darling of architects and dreamers worldwide.
Walk half a block west along 42nd Street to the corner of Lexington Avenue, where another Art Deco masterpiece honors the pioneering spirit of urban labor.