ART DECO CENTURY / CHRYSLER BUILDING MANHATTAN

Ninety-five years after its completion, the Chrysler Building remains one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks—a beacon of Art Deco design and American ambition.  

Completed in 1930 at the height of the skyscraper race, the 1,046-foot tower briefly held the title of tallest building in the world. Designed by architect William Van Alen for auto magnate Walter Chrysler, the structure was intended to symbolize speed, innovation, and modernity—values that defined both the man and the era.  

Van Alen

Located at 405 Lexington Avenue, the building stands out for its stainless-steel crown: a series of flared arches, triangular windows, and a 185-foot spire that was assembled in secret and raised into place to outpace the competition.  

The building is rich in automotive references. Winged eagles and radiator caps—direct nods to Chrysler car designs—adorn the upper stories. 

Its brickwork and vertical lines emphasize height and momentum, hallmarks of the Art Deco movement.  

Inside, the lobby (above) features red Moroccan marble, decorative metalwork, and a ceiling mural celebrating industry and flight. 

Though not open to the general public above the lobby level, the building remains a favorite of architecture fans and tourists alike.  

While only a few years later, it was eventually surpassed by the Empire State Building in height, the Chrysler Building is often regarded as the more elegant of the two. 

It has been called the most beautiful skyscraper in New York—and perhaps the most recognizable Art Deco tower in the world. 

CLASSIC ARCHITECT v. CLIENT FEUD 

Van Alen designed the Chrysler Building as a bold, futuristic statement that pushed the limits of architecture at the time. He also took some personal financial risks to get it built, including working without a formal written contract. 

Van Alen believed the prestige of the project—and the promise of fair compensation—would be enough. But after the tower was completed in 1930, Walter Chrysler (left) refused to pay Van Alen his full fee, which was reportedly 6% of the $14 million construction cost—about $840,000 at the time (a massive sum during the onset of the Great Depression). 

Chrysler claimed the fee was too high and accused Van Alen of financial impropriety. Van Alen sued—and won. 

But the lawsuit ended his relationship with Chrysler and damaged his reputation in the New York real estate world. Developers saw him as difficult and too grand in his vision. Despite designing one of the most celebrated skyscrapers of all time, Van Alen never received another major commission afterward. 

So while the Chrysler Building rose to glory, its architect’s career quietly faded. 

Classic case of: one man gets the skyline, the other gets stiffed. 

Bottom line:  Draw up a contract before you begin the project!

In 1933, two workers (above) emerged through a hidden trap door and stepped onto the back of a 61st-floor eagle, one of eight gleaming Art Deco sentinels guarding the Chrysler Building. Suspended high above the roar of Midtown Manhattan, they struck a fearless pose—echoing the daring of Margaret Bourke-White, who just years earlier had climbed the same perch to capture one of the most iconic photographs in American history.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE BUILDING

1. Le Corbusier (Architect, Pioneer of Modernism) "The Chrysler Building is hot jazz made of steel—too elegant for the office work that goes on inside." Note: While Le Corbusier was critical of New York’s density, this attributed quote reflects the building’s musical, flamboyant energy. 

 2. Paul Goldberger (Architecture Critic, The New Yorker) "The Chrysler Building is the most romantic skyscraper in America. Its gleaming, silver spire is pure fantasy—an exuberant burst of the Jazz Age in steel and glass." 

 3. Ada Louise Huxtable (Architecture Critic, The New York Times) "The Chrysler Building is a piece of deliberate, breathtaking theatricality—a gleaming Art Deco rocket ready to blast off." 

 4. John Tauranac (Author of The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark) "The Chrysler Building didn’t just pierce the skyline. It pierced the imagination." 

 5. Brendan Gill (Writer, The New Yorker) "Nothing before or since has equaled the Chrysler Building's style, sophistication, and sheer chutzpah. It was built to be noticed." 

 6. Tom Wolfe (Cultural Critic, Author of From Bauhaus to Our House) "The Chrysler Building was a last hurrah of ornament—before the International Style drained architecture of its soul." 

 7. William Van Alen (Architect of the Chrysler Building) "It’s a machine that soars—a spire for an age of speed." Though not verbatim, this quote echoes Van Alen’s design philosophy: combining motion, industry, and style. 

 8. Donald Albrecht (Curator of Architecture and Design, Museum of the City of New York) "The Chrysler Building is the city’s most glamorous skyscraper—an Art Deco tiara glinting over Manhattan."