Chrysler Building, in midtown Manhattan, New York City, at Lexington Ave. between 42d and 43d St. The ultimate art deco art deco (ärt dĕkō`; är dākō`, ärt) or art moderne
..... Click the link for more information. -style skyscraper skyscraper, modern building of great height, constructed on a steel skeleton. The form originated in the United States.

Development of the Form

Many mechanical and structural developments in the last quarter of the 19th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. , it was commissioned by Walter P. Chrysler Chrysler, Walter Percy (krī`slər), 1875–1940, American industrialist, founder of the Chrysler Corp.
..... Click the link for more information. , designed by William Van Alen, and built in 1926–30. For about a year, until the completion (1931) of the Empire State Building Empire State Building, in central Manhattan, New York City, on Fifth Ave. between 33d St. and 34th St. It was designed by the firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon and built in 1930–31.
..... Click the link for more information. , the Chrysler was the world's tallest building. Comprised of 77 stories and 1,048 ft (319 m) tall, this steel-framed office building is a stepped tower with two primary setbacks. It is topped by a series of gleaming, gradually diminishing arches clad in stainless chromium-nickel steel, pierced by narrow triangular windows and surmounted by a slim 185-ft (56-m) stainless spire. The building also features ornaments of the same steel, including enormous stylized eagle heads, pineapples, and automobile-related designs. Its lobby is an art deco extravaganza of marble, chrome, and fresco.

Bibliography

See studies by N. Shivers (1996) and D. Stravitz (2002); N. Messier, The Art Deco Skyscraper in New York (1983).

Chrysler Building

Office building (1926–30) in New York City designed by William Van Alen (1883–1954). The epitome of sleek Art Deco design, its tapering sunburst-patterned stainless-steel spire remains a striking feature of the Manhattan skyline. Much of its futuristic automotive ornamentation was specified by its owner, Walter P. Chrysler (see Chrysler LLC). It was briefly the tallest in the world (1,046 ft [318.8 m]) until the Empire State Building opened in 1931.

Chrysler Building

in New York City; one of the tallest buildings in the world. [Architecture: Misc.]

See : Tallness