Chrysler Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chrysler Building |
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The Chrysler Building in May 2009
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| Record height | |
| Tallest in the world from May 27, 1930 to May 1, 1931 | |
| Preceded by | 40 Wall Street |
| Surpassed by | Empire State Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 405 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York 10174 U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°45′06″N 73°58′31″W / 40.75167°N 73.97528°W |
| Construction started | January 21, 1929 |
| Topped-out | October 23, 1929 |
| Completed | May 27, 1930 |
| Opened | May 27, 1930 |
| Owner | Land: Cooper Union Building: SIGNA Group and RFR Holding LLC |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 1,046 ft (319 m) |
| Roof | 925 ft (282 m) |
| Top floor | 899 ft (274 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 77 |
| Floor area | 1,196,958 sq ft (111,201.0 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 32 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Van Alen |
| Structural engineer | Ralph Squire & Sons |
| Main contractor | Fred T Ley & Co |
| Designated | December 8, 1976 |
| Reference no. | 76001237 |
| Designated | December 8, 1976 |
| Reference no. | 76001237 |
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Invalid designation
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| Designated | June 23, 1980 |
| Reference no. | 06101.001565 |
| Designated | September 12, 1978 |
| Reference no. | 0992 |
| Designated entity | Facade |
| Designated | September 12, 1978 |
| Reference no. | 0996 |
| Designated entity | Interior: Lobby |
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At 1,046 ft (319 m), it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework, and it was the world's tallest building for 11 months after its completion in 1930. As of 2019[update], the Chrysler is the 12th-tallest building in the city, tied with The New York Times Building.
Originally a project of real estate developer and former New York State Senator William H. Reynolds, the building was commissioned by Walter Chrysler, the head of the Chrysler Corporation. The construction of the Chrysler Building, an early skyscraper, was characterized by a competition with 40 Wall Street and the Empire State Building to become the world's tallest building. The Chrysler Building was designed and funded by Walter Chrysler personally as a real estate investment for his children, but it was not intended as the Chrysler Corporation's headquarters. An annex was completed in 1952, and the building was sold by the Chrysler family the next year, with numerous subsequent owners.
When the Chrysler Building opened, there were mixed reviews of the building's design, some calling it inane and unoriginal, others hailing it as modernist and iconic. Reviewers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries regarded the building as a paragon of the Art Deco architectural style. In 2007, it was ranked ninth on the American Institute of Architects' list of America's Favorite Architecture. The facade and interior became New York City designated landmarks in 1978, and the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
Contents
Site
The Chrysler Building is on the eastern side of Lexington Avenue between 42nd and 43rd streets in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The land was donated to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1902. The site is roughly a trapezoid with a 201-foot-long (61 m) frontage on Lexington Avenue; a 167-foot-long (51 m) frontage on 42nd Street; and a 205-foot-long (62 m) frontage on 43rd Street. The site bordered the old Boston Post Road, which predated, and ran aslant of, the Manhattan street grid established by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. As a result, the east side of the building's base is similarly aslant. The building is assigned its own ZIP Code, 10174. It is one of 41 buildings in Manhattan that have their own ZIP Codes, as of 2019[update].
The Grand Hyatt New York hotel and the Graybar Building are across Lexington Avenue, while the Socony–Mobil Building is across 42nd Street. In addition, the Chanin Building is to the southwest, diagonally across Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street.
History
The Chrysler Building was designed by architect William Van Alen for a project of Walter P. Chrysler. When the ground breaking occurred on September 19, 1928, there was an intense competition in New York City to build the world's tallest skyscraper. Despite a frantic pace (the building was built at an average rate of four floors per week), no workers died during the construction of this skyscraper.
Design beginnings
Van Alen's original design for the skyscraper called for a decorative jewel-like glass crown. It also featured a base in which the showroom windows were tripled in height and topped by 12 stories with glass-wrapped corners, creating an impression that the tower was floating in mid-air. The height of the skyscraper was also originally designed to be 246 meters (807 ft). However, the design proved to be too advanced and costly for building contractor William H. Reynolds, who disapproved of Van Alen's original plan. The design and lease were then sold to Walter P. Chrysler, who worked with Van Alen and redesigned the skyscraper for additional stories; it was eventually revised to be 282 m (925 ft) tall. As Walter Chrysler was the chairman of the Chrysler Corporation and intended to make the building into Chrysler's headquarters, various architectural details and especially the building's gargoyles were modeled after Chrysler automobile products like the hood ornaments of the Plymouth; they exemplify the machine age in the 1920's.
Construction
Construction commenced on September 19, 1928. In total, 391,881 rivets were used and approximately 3,826,000 bricks were manually laid, to create the non-load-bearing walls of the skyscraper. Contractors, builders and engineers were joined by other building-services experts to coordinate construction.
The spire was delivered to the site in four different sections. On October 23, 1929, the bottom section of the spire was hoisted to the top of the building's dome and lowered into the 66th floor of the building. The other remaining sections of the spire were hoisted and riveted to the first one in sequential order in just 90 minutes.
Completion
Upon completion on May 27, 1930, the added height of the spire allowed the Chrysler Building to surpass 40 Wall Street as the tallest building in the world and the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure. It was the first man-made structure to stand taller than 1,000 feet (305 m). Less than a year after it opened to the public on May 27, 1930, the Chrysler Building was surpassed in height by the Empire State Building, but the Chrysler Building is still the world's tallest steel-supported brick building.
Architecture
The Chrysler Building is considered a leading example of Art Deco architecture. The corners of the 61st floor are graced with eagles; on the 31st floor, the corner ornamentation are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps. The building is constructed of masonry, with a steel frame, and metal cladding. The building currently contains a total of 3,862 windows on its facades. Inside, there are four banks of 8 elevators designed by the Otis Elevator Corporation. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and a New York City Landmark in 1978.
When the building first opened, it contained a public viewing gallery on the 71st floor, which was closed to the public in 1945. This floor is now the highest occupied floor of the Chrysler Building. There are two sets of lighting in the top spires and decoration. The first are the V-shaped lighting inserts in the steel of the building itself. Added later were groups of floodlights that are on mast arms directed back at the building. This allows the top of the building to be lit in many colors for special occasions.
Representation
The Chrysler Building has been shown in several movies that take place in New York. In the summer of 2005, the Skyscraper Museum in Lower Manhattan asked one hundred architects, builders, critics, engineers, historians, and scholars, among others, to choose their 10 favorites among 25 of the city's towers. The Chrysler Building came in first place, as 90% of respondents placed the building among their top 10 favorite buildings.
The Chrysler Building's distinctive profile has inspired similar skyscrapers worldwide; including One Liberty Place in Philadelphia, and the Al Kazim Towers in Dubai.
Photo Gallery
Other pages
Images for kids
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The building's distinctive Art Deco crown and spire
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The lower walls are clad with white brick, interrupted by white-marble bands in a manner similar to a basket weaving.
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View from one of the north-facing triangular windows
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The Chrysler Building from the Empire State Building, both erected as part of New York City's 1920s building boom
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Chrysler Building from The SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt with the United Nations headquarters in the background
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One of the radiator cap–themed ornaments
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Height comparison of buildings in New York City
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The Chrysler Building seen from ground level
See also
In Spanish: Edificio Chrysler para niños
