Top 10 Sensational Facts About The Chrysler Building

Top 10 Sensational Facts about the Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building by PortableNYCTours from Wikimedia Commons

Located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington, on the East side of
Manhattan, the Chrysler Building is one of the tallest buildings in New York
City. It is a 77-storey Art Deco skyscraper, easily recognizable by its stainless
chromium-nickel steel cladding, narrow triangular windows and a slim 185 feet
stainless spire atop. The Chrysler Building is ranked ninth on the List of
America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

Here are 10 sensational facts about this building.

1. King of the world (for 11 months)

Chrysler Building by Carlos Delgado from Wikimedia Commons

The Chrysler Building was the tallest in the world from May 27, 1930, to May 1, 1931, about 11 months, before being expropriated by the Empire State Building in the infamous “Race into the sky”- a competition by a number of developers to build the tallest building in the world.

Its development was also marked by competition with the Empire State Building and the 40 Wall Street Building at the time (the Empire State Building stole the mantel of the tallest building in the world just 11 months after Chrysler was built)

2. Location, location, location

Located on the East side of Manhattan near Midtown, the Chrysler Building is literally a couple of blocks from yet another iconic address – Grand Central Station. The booming economy in the ‘Roaring 20s’ saw New York eclipse London as the most populous metropolis in the world. This boom fueled grand real estate investments in the city by the wealthy and elite speculators.

3. Luxury and magnificence

The skeleton of the Chrysler Building was used to create a substantial chunk of the structure. Craftsmen set up their workshops between the 65th and 67th floors, where they built some of the building’s most prominent elements, such as the spire, windows, and the metal sheets that cover the facade.

The Cloud Club has only been seen by a select few individuals, but those who have claimed it is a breathtaking sight. This very elite Club was the drinking place for New York City’s movers and shakers, who convened here to drink, play cards, and discuss business transactions. It was spread out over three floors, from the 66th to the 68th.

It used to be able to travel all the way up to the 71st story, but the upper floors of the building are now restricted to the public. If you wish to see the interior of the building, go to the lobby, which is painted with an Edward Turnbull mural named “Energy, Result, Workmanship, and Transportation,” which represents not just the skyscraper but also the people who created it.

4. Multiple Design Changes 

Chrysler Building architect William Van Alen’s brief was to design an Art Deco building that would also be the tallest building in the world. Stepping into the fray were 40 Wall Street and the Empire State Building whose developers were also keen on the title of The world’s tallest building – in a competition the media described as the ‘Race into the sky’.

As a result of this, the original 40-storey building Van Alen had designed had to keep getting remodelled. The building wound up with 77 floors! In addition, Van Alen even acquired permission for a 125-foot-long (38 m) spire which was brought to the site in 4 pieces and secretly installed on October 23, 1929.

5. Zero Taxes Paid

The land on which the Chrysler Building was built is owned by the Cooper Union – a private college. The land is an endowment for the College and by a special law that dates back to 1859, the building’s owner Cooper Union directly means the state of New York has never received a single dollar of property tax from the Chrysler Building.

6. The Chrysler Building is a long-lost heirloom

After Ford Motor Firm and General Motors, Walter P. Chrysler’s car company was the third-largest in the United States when he began work on the skyscraper project. His ambition to embark on such a large project was motivated by a desire to show off his company’s success by providing Chrysler with a headquarters that would be the envy of the whole globe. Indeed, from 1930 until 1950, the building functioned as the company’s headquarters. The age, however, came to an end. The car magnate was so enamoured with the structure that he purchased it.

He intended for it to serve as a symbol of his dynasty and be passed down to his heirs. As a result, when Chrysler died in 1940, the structure was passed down to his family. But only for a short time. The tower was sold for $18 million to real estate mogul William Zeckendorf in 1953. And the name of the auto baron who wanted to set a new world record was all that was left of him.

7. Awards

The Chrysler Building was enshrined in the National Historic
Landmark Registry in 1976. Two years later the State of New York
followed suit recognizing it as a New York City landmark.

8. No Fatalities

Unlike the Empire State Building where 5 workers lost their lives in its construction, not a single person died at the Chrysler site a remarkable feat considering the scale of the project and the existing technology in that time and era.

9. Hollywood!

This iconic building has been used in several Hollywood blockbuster productions including Independence Day (1996), Armageddon (1998), Deep Impact (1998), Godzilla (1998), and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).

10. The Chrysler Building is a billionaire’s fantasy

Most people believe that the Chrysler Building was designed by Walter P. Chrysler, the visionary creator of the famed automotive manufacturer, who intended to honour his industrial children by constructing a skyscraper with a top that resembled a car engine’s radiator. In reality, few people are aware that the design for what would later become the Chrysler Building was sponsored by William H. Reynolds, a former New York state senator who commissioned William Van Alen, a Brooklyn-born architect, to build the skyscraper.

Van Alen’s idea for the tower dubbed the Reynolds Building, turned out to be out of reach for the former senator’s money. As a result, William H. Reynolds sold the concept to Walter P. Chrysler for $2 million on October 15, 1928. Following his acquisition, Chrysler asked Val Alen if he could alter the plan to make it even more grandiose – the world’s tallest structure.

The construction site was first launched in 1928 with this purpose in mind. Work on the project lasted until 1930. It took little under three years to not only set a new world record but also to construct a structure that is still considered one of Manhattan’s most magnificent.