The Chrysler Building is a beautiful skyscraper located on 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, a busy area of Manhattan only a few blocks from Grand Central Terminal. Completed in 1930 and built in the sleek Art Deco style, the Chrysler Building was the world’s tallest building till it was replaced by the Empire State Building in 1931, and is even now the third tallest building in New York City at 1,048 feet and 77 floors.
The history of the Chrysler Building is fascinating. It was commissioned by developer William H. Reynolds, who hired William Van Alen as the building’s architect in 1928. But Reynolds sold the lease and the building plans to Walter P. Chrysler, the president of the Chrysler corporation. Interestingly, the building never belonged to the Chrysler corporation but was paid for by Walter Chrysler personally so it could be a legacy to his descendants, even though the family eventually sold the building in 1947. Since then there have been many owners in Chrysler Building history. Today the Abu Dhabi Investment Council is the primary owner.
Because Chrysler was the chairman of the car company, he made sure that the skyscraper’s architectural details echoed the details of his cars, like the hood ornaments on the 1929 Chrysler Plymouth. Photographer Margaret Bourke-White was once photographed on one of these gargoyles, which are on the 61st floor. The gargoyles themselves were made by Cesley Bonestell.
The building was only supposed to be 925 feet tall, but when Chrysler found out that 40 Wall Street was going to be 927 feet he decided to build his building taller. However, the building’s true height was kept a secret until it was too late for the builders of 40 Wall Street to do anything about it. The building’s spire was actually constructed within its upper floors, and then raised into place to give the building over a hundred feet of extra height — besting 40 Wall Street and adding luster to the history of the Chrysler Building.
Below the spire is the uniquely gorgeous Chrysler Building crown, made up of seven sunburst arches covered in a brilliant silvery metal made of chrome, nickel and steel. The building was the first to use this metal, called Nirosta. There are 32 Chrysler building elevators and each is decorated with wood from a different part of the world. Chrysler Building history also has room for a little intrigue. The top of the building had a private lounge area, called the "Cloud Club" for relaxation. During Prohibition there was a hidden room where people could indulge in a forbidden tipple. Rumors are that this room still exists.
Construction began on September 19, 1928 and was completed on May 20, 1930, ending with Chrysler and Van Alen’s clever spire gambit. The building was raised in haste, growing four stories a week. However, unlike the Empire State Building on 34th Street, no workers were killed during the Chrysler building’s construction. It’s also been a National Historic Landmark since 1976.
