The Chrysler Building is undoubtedly one of New York’s most iconic skyscrapers . This metal building has stood above Manhattan for nearly a century. He recalls that the growth of the automobile industry and its development were important drivers of the financial system of New York and the United States.
Chrysler Construction is located at the corner of Lexington Avenue and the iconic 42nd Avenue. The building overlooks Grand Central Terminal and is just blocks from the Queens Midtown Tunnel, which runs under the East River to connect Manhattan and Queens.
The building was built from 1929 to 1930 under the direction of architect William Van Alen. The owner was the Chrysler Automobile Company. The inauguration took place on May 27, 1930. The Chrysler Building was then the tallest building in New York . The building is 319 meters high and has 77 floors .
At a time when architects and companies alike coveted the title of tallest skyscraper in the city, the Chrysler Building held its title for exactly one year.
Sure enough, on May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building earned this title because of its height of 381 meters and an endless antenna that pushed the height to 448.7 meters.
Chrysler Constructing logo
Chrysler Construction started with a metal body covered with metal . The construction process required 20,961 tons of metal, 391,881 rivets and 3,826,000 bricks.
The building is equipped with 34 elevators and the facade is perforated with 3,862 windows. In total, the building’s offices cover 111,201 m². The Chrysler Corporation had its headquarters here until 1950.
The style of the building is clearly art deco but the primary purpose is to enjoy the car it is named after. So the exterior and interior decorations represent Chrysler cars .
From the street, visitors can admire illustrations of the car’s chrome radiator cover on the 31st floor; they are symbolized by two eagle wings.
On the 61st floor, they will consider eight metal eagles. However, the part of the Chrysler Building that most New Yorkers like is the arrow, which was renovated in 1995.
Composed of six chrome-plated steel domes, perforated with triangular windows. It gives the building a unique and stylish style.
Inside, the finest materials were used: white marble, granite, unique wood, etc. And at night, lighting gives the Chrysler Building a magical character.
Useful data
Opening hours: free
Admission fee: free