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3 Chrysler Building

New York, New York
William Van Alen, 1930

The Chrysler Building in midtown Manhattan

The Art Deco Chrysler Building brought a bold new profile to the Manhattan skyline. In the spirit of the company it housed, the building’s sleek, stainless-steel crown captured the idea of the modern automobile: sleek, fast, and stylish. Photo Credit: Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress

The Chrysler Building in 1932 Photo Credit: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Library of Congress

Walter P. Chrysler commissioned the building to house the Chrysler Corporation, though he maintained personal ownership of the building. Photo Credit: FeralLynx via WikiCommons

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Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building

When the Chrysler Building rose in midtown Manhattan in 1930, it was the first building to exceed the Eiffel Tower in height, and the tallest building in the world – a record it claimed for less than a year when the Empire State Building was completed.

Designed for Walter P. Chrysler to house his Chrysler Corporation, the building captured not only the machine-age spirit of the 1920s, but also the poetic idea of the car itself: sleek, modern, fast, and stylish. Its interior spaces added the opulence of African marble and chrome.

While it was quickly surpassed in height, the Chrysler Building has held a unique position in the Manhattan skyline and in American architecture with its dramatic Art Deco styling and signature, stainless-steel crown. It is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished Art Deco buildings ever constructed.

Learn more

Abu Dhabi Buys Chrysler Building – The New York Times

Chrysler Center – In-depth Look at the Property