Chrysler Building

This article is about the building in Manhattan, New York City. For the current US Chrysler headquarters, see Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center. For Chrysler offices in downtown Detroit, see Chrysler House.

Chrysler Building
Logo of the building
The Chrysler Building in May 2009
Map
Record height
Tallest in the world from May 27, 1930[1][2] to May 1, 1931[3][I]
Preceded by40 Wall Street
Surpassed byEmpire State Building
General information
TypeOffice building
Architectural styleArt Deco
Location405 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York 10174
U.S.
Coordinates40°45′06″N 73°58′31″W / 40.75167°N 73.97528°W / 40.75167; -73.97528
Construction startedJanuary 21, 1929; 95 years ago (1929-01-21)
Topped-outOctober 23, 1929; 95 years ago (1929-10-23)
CompletedMay 27, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-05-27)[1][2]
OpenedMay 27, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-05-27)
OwnerLand: Cooper Union
Building: SIGNA Group
and RFR Holding LLC[6]
Height
Antenna spire1,046 ft (319 m)[4]
Roof925 ft (282 m)
Top floor899 ft (274 m)[4]
Technical details
Floor count77[4][5]
Floor area1,196,958 sq ft (111,201.0 m2)[4]
Lifts/elevators32[4]
Design and construction
Architect(s)William Van Alen
Structural engineerRalph Squire & Sons
Main contractorFred T Ley & Co
DesignatedDecember 8, 1976[8]
Reference no.76001237
DesignatedDecember 8, 1976[9]
Reference no.76001237
DesignatedJune 23, 1980[10]
Reference no.06101.001565
DesignatedSeptember 12, 1978[11]
Reference no.0992[11]
Designated entityFacade
DesignatedSeptember 12, 1978[12]
Reference no.0996[12]
Designated entityInterior: Lobby
References
[4][7]

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. It was both the world's first supertall skyscraper and the world's tallest building for 11 months after its completion in 1930. As of 2019, the Chrysler is the 12th-tallest building in the city, tied with The New York Times Building.[13]

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.

  1. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1978, p. 2.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NYT-Chrysler-Open-1930 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Tauranac 2014, pp. 227–228.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Chrysler Building". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  5. ^ Nash & McGrath 1999, p. 63.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference signa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Emporis building ID 114867". Emporis. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Chrysler Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  9. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  10. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1978, p. 1.
  12. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior 1978, p. 1.
  13. ^ "Chrysler Building - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 28, 2024.