Chrysler Building, New York (USA)

The Chrysler Building is located on the east side of Manhattan and is a historic landmark of New York City. It was commissioned by automobile magnate Walter P. Chrysler, who wanted this building to be distinguished by exceptional architectural execution and to reflect the glory of the American automobile industry.

Architect William Van Allen was hired to execute this exceptional project. Construction of the building began in 1928, when the race was felt among the rich for the tallest and most beautiful skyscraper in the city of unlimited possibilities. At the same time, the Manhattan Bank was under construction with designer H. Craig Severance. The race between the two architects was followed with interest by the public. The architect of the Chrysler Building started with 56 floors, but added another 9 floors to beat out Severance. The other architect adds a tower and feeling victorious, completes the Manhattan Bank at 71 stories.

But Van Allen had secretly assembled a 55.5-foot-tall steel tower, resembling a Chrysler car radiator grille, in the fire pit of the new building. Thus the Chrysler building, 314.5 meters high and 77 storeys high, wins the championship. This masterpiece of Art Deco architecture was inaugurated in 1930 and for a short time this building was the tallest in the world. Although there are now other taller skyscrapers, the Chrysler Building remains the favorite skyscraper of New Yorkers and tourists alike.

The facade of the building is impressive. The ornaments on the 31st floor resemble the wheel and the radiator cover, made of special steel ribbed in such a way that many triangular windows are formed. The corners of the 61st floor are decorated with eagles in the manner of the company's 1929 model cars. The building has a total of 3862 windows and 32 lifts. The lobby is currently the only accessible space in the Chrysler Building. It is triangular in shape, clad in red African granite with a magnificent ceiling mural by Edward Trumbull.

The mural 'Transport and Human Endeavour' depicts several silvery aeroplanes, steel furnaces and the building itself, the central image being " a muscular giant whose brain directs its boundless energy towards achieving the triumphs of this mechanical age".  After its opening in 1930, the first and second floors of the building were used to display Chrysler's production cars. This exhibit closed before the outbreak of World War II. The Chrysler building appears in several films. Since 1978, its crown and tower have been illuminated by a combination of fluorescent lights outlining the distinctive triangular windows and colored spotlights aimed at the building. For this reason, the Chrysler Building is a favorite spot for photographers and artists and a tangible presence in New York City.