Chrysler Building
From Archiplanet
 | Chrysler Building |
| Designer | William Van Alen |
| Location | New York, New York, USA |
| Date | 1928 to 1930 |
| Building Type | skyscraper, commercial office tower |
| Climate | temperate |
| Context | urban |
| Architectural Style | Art Deco |
| Street Address | 405 Lexington Avenue |
| Notes | Stainless steel metal ornamented top. Automobile-derived ornamental details. Elegant lobby. |
| At Great Buildings | http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/Chrysler_Building.html |
Contents |
[edit] Images
 Distant overview of Manhattan highlighting Chrysler Building. |
[edit] Discussion
Commentary
"Art Deco in France found its American equivalent in the design of the New York skyscrapers of the 1920s. The Chrysler Building...was one of the most accomplished essays in the style."
— John Julius Norwich, ed. The World Atlas of Architecture. p366.
"The design, originally drawn up for building contractor William H. Reynolds, was finally sold to Walter P. Chrysler, who wanted a provocative building which would not merely scrape the sky but positively pierce it. Its 77 floors briefly making it the highest building in the world—at least until the Empire State Building was completed—it became the star of the New York skyline, thanks above all to its crowning peak. In a deliberate strategy of myth generation, Van Alen planned a dramatic moment of revelation: the entire seven-storey pinnacle, complete with special-steel facing, was first assembled inside the building, and then hoisted into position through the roof opening and anchored on top in just one and a half hours. All of a sudden it was there—a sensational fait accompli."
— Peter Gossel and Gabriele Leuthauser. Architecture in the Twentieth Century. p209.
"One of the first uses of stainless steel over a large exposed building surface. The decorative treatment of the masonry walls below changes with every set-back and includes story-high basket-weave designs, radiator-cap gargoyles, and a band of abstract automobiles. The lobby is a modernistic composition of African marble and chrome steel."
— Elliot Willensky and Norval White. AIA Guide to New York City. p121.
Details
Client: William P. Chrysler, the automotive magnate.
77 stories or floors.The height to the top of its spire is 1048 feet.
Address
405 Lexington Avenue (between 42nd and 43rd streets)
New York, New York
[edit] Maps
[edit] References
Howard Davis. Slides from photographer's collection. PCD.2260.1012.1702.052. PCD.2260.1012.1702.051.
Judith Dupre. Skyscrapers. Black Dog and Leventhal, June, 1996. ISBN 1-8848-2245-2. — A fun and informative gift book in skyscraper format, 18" tall and 7.5" wide, with perfect pictures and key information on tallest buildings over the decades, up to the 1998 Petronas Towers. Available at Amazon.com
Peter Gossel and Gabriele Leuthauser. Architecture in the Twentieth Century. Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 1991. ISBN 3-8228-0550-5. exterior photo, p208. discussion p209.
Lawrence A. Martin, University of Oregon. Slide from photographer's collection, September 1993. PCD.3235.1012.0545.064. PCD.3235.1012.0545.065.
Toshino Nakamura, ed. "Chrysler Building, 1930", A+U Extra Edition. April 1987. p97. drawing of ground floor plan, p98. drawing of floors 6-10 plans, p98. drawing of floors 51 through 55 plans, p98. drawing of exterior wall detail, p99. drawing of entry detail, p101.
Toshino Nakamura, ed. "New York Art Deco Skyscrapers", A+U Extra Edition. April 1987. p5. color drawing of exterior perspective, p7. top center drawing on page [MW]
John Julius Norwich, ed. The World Atlas of Architecture. New York: Portland House, 1988. ISBN 0-517-66875-0. discussion p366.Reprint edition: Da Capo Press, April 1991. ISBN 0-3068-0436-0. — An accessible, inspiring and informative overview of world architecture, with lots of full-color cutaway drawings, and clear explanations. Available at Amazon.com
Natalie Shivers. Chrysler Building. Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. ISBN 1-8782-7124-5. — A new book on the Chyrysler Building, coming soon. Reserve one at Amazon.com
Marcus Whiffen and Frederick Koeper. American Architecture, Volume 2. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1984. exterior photo of top, f 263, p 327.— An excellent survey of American architecture. Reprint Edition available at Amazon.com
Elliot Willensky and Norval White. AIA Guide to New York City. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1988. ISBN 0-15-104040-0. NA 735.N5A78. discussion and details, p121. — Sadly out of print, but you can still request a search at Amazon.com
