Chrysler Building -
New York City
|
Chrysler Building: In the summer of 1929, a "race for the sky" broke
out on the island of Manhattan. Automobile tycoon Walter Chrysler battled
Wall Street powerhouse Bank of Manhattan Trust Company for the title of
world's tallest building in what many historians consider to be the most
intense race in skyscraper history. In the spring of 1930, just when it
appeared that the bank might capture the coveted title, a small crew jacked
a needle-thin spire hidden in Chrysler's building through the top of the
crown to claim the title of world's tallest at 1,046 feet. |
Click
on the Image to enlarge |
Not only was the
Chrysler Building the world's tallest structure, it was also one of the most
decorated office buildings in the world. Chrysler wanted "a bold structure,
declaring the glories of the modern age" -- and he got it. He decorated his
skyscraper with hubcaps, mudguards, and hood ornaments, just like his cars,
hoping that such a distinctive building would make his car company a
household name.
|
 |
Today, the Chrysler Building is recognized as New York
City's greatest display of Art Deco, a decorative style characterized by
sharp angular or zigzag surface forms and ornaments. Only four months after
the completion of the Chrysler Building, the world's tallest championship
title would be claimed by a new structure, the Empire State Building. |
|
|
