Chrysler Building

Item

Title
Chrysler Building
Creator
William Van Alen (American architect, 1882-1954)
City
New York, New York, United States
Country
United States
Date Created
1928-1930 (creation)
Century
20th century
Classification
Architecture and City Planning
Building Type
skyscrapers
high-rise buildings
Style/Period
Art Deco
Cultural Context
American
Materials
steel
steel: stainless steel
Techniques
construction
Subject
architectural exteriors
architectural interiors
business, commerce and trade
Automobiles
Description
View of tower and spire, The exterior decoration of this 77-storey building incorporates elaborate iconography based on automobiles, including hub caps, mud flaps and a stainless steel spire that figures prominently on the skyline. The interiors are embellished with murals, marquetry and metalwork
it is the foremost Art Deco skyscraper in New York. In a celebrated race for skyline priority, Van Alen surpassed Severance's 282.55 m Bank of Manhattan in November 1929. He had the 56.39 m Chrysler spire assembled inside the building and in 90 minutes had hoisted it into position, before an unsuspecting public. At 318.52 m, it remained the tallest building in the world until the Empire State Building (381 m) opened in 1931.
Source
Javier Gomez
Photographer
Javier Gomez
Rights Holder
© Javier Gomez
Texas Tech University Libraries
Access Rights
Users must request permission from the copyright holder for all use in publications, including theses and dissertations.
Item sets
All Faculty Collections
Javier Gomez Collection
Media
https://www.myweb.ttu.edu/saschuma/gomezat_3266.jpg

William Van Alen (American architect, 1882-1954), “Chrysler Building”, Arch Design Images, accessed November 16, 2024, https://exhibits.lib.ttu.edu/s/archlib/item/37487