The Chrysler Structure The world's 55th tallest structure, the 8th highest in the United States, and the 4th tallest in New York City, has 77 stories and 32 elevators (made by the famous Otis Elevator Company). The top of the Chrysler Building, which featured an observation deck until 1945, is no longer available to the public. However, a private viewing room has been constructed on the 102nd floor for guests who may wish to observe the city from that height.
The building was designed by William Van Alen with architectural drawings by George W. Maher and Vincent Pallotti. It was built by the American company Warner & Swasey for $7 million ($ today) and opened on May 1, 1930. At the time it was the world's tallest building, surpassing the previous title holder, the Singer Tower, by more than 100 feet. Today, it is ranked as the second-tallest building in New York after the World Trade Center.
The Chrysler Building is one of only two buildings in New York to be listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the World Heritage Site lists (the other being One Wall Street).
It was also the first skyscraper to use what are now standard features of modern office buildings: air conditioning, fire escapes, and restrooms on each floor. The building's exterior is made of glass and limestone, and its roof is covered in aluminum. The interior features marble walls, ceilings, and floors.
The Chrysler is the city's 11th tallest skyscraper, tied with the New York Times Building, as of 2019.
| Chrysler Building | |
|---|---|
| Groundbreaking | September 18, 1928 |
| Completed | May 27, 1930 |
| Owner | Land: Cooper Union Building: SIGNA Group and RFR Holding LLC |
| Height |
The Chrysler Skyscraper, which was built between 1928 and 1930, was temporarily the highest building in the world, standing at 1,046 feet (318.8 metres). It was awarded this honor in November 1929, when the skyscraper was completed with a 180-foot (55-metre) spire, and held the record until the Empire State Building opened in 1931. However, the Chrysler Building has been replaced as the highest building in New York City by several structures since its demolition in 1990.
The original plan for the site called for a monumental entrance to the new Penn Central Railroad Station. However, after seeing the design of the Chrysler Building, Henry Ford offered to pay for the project if Thomas Hines would agree to build him a similar structure. Hines agreed, and the two buildings are quite similar in design.
In addition to being the tallest building in the city, the Chrysler Building is also famous for being the first high-rise office building in America. The building's owner, Walter Chrysler, wanted to create an environment that would be appealing to employees, so he ordered the construction of windows that could be opened from the inside. Other innovative features included an underground garage, used by many businesses at the time for parking cars, and a system of air conditioning units located on the roof that provided cooling air to all floors.
When it was constructed, the Chrysler Building was considered revolutionary because it changed the face of New York City.
The Chrysler Building was the first structure in the world to surpass the 300 m (984 ft) mark, while the Empire State Building was the first structure to reach more than 100 stories. It has 102 storeys and a height of 381 meters (1,250 feet). The World Trade Center, which was completed in 1971, was the second highest building. It had 2001 feet (610 meters) of floor space, which was at the time the largest office building in the world.
The Twin Towers were built as part of the World Trade Center complex. They were initially intended to be twin towers of equal size but instead one was significantly taller than the other. The difference in height was approximately 105 feet (32 meters). The two buildings were connected by an underground shopping mall, with food courts, bars, and other attractions. They collapsed on September 11, 2001 during the terrorist attacks on New York City.
The Sears Tower is currently the tallest building in Chicago. It is also the third-highest building in the United States. Completed in 1973, it has 102 floors and a height of 471 meters (1,520 feet). The Willis Tower (formerly known as the John Hancock Center) is the fourth-tallest building in the U.S. It has 92 floors and a height of 493 meters (1,631 feet). The fifth-tallest building in the U.S. is the Petronas Twin Towers, which are attached to each other by a skybridge.
The skyscraper was completed in 1930 by carmaker Walter P. Chrysler and was briefly the highest structure in New York until succumbing months later to the Empire State Building. The majority of the famous Chrysler Building, which was erected in 1930, was sold for $800 million on Tuesday. It is now the second-most expensive building in the world behind One World Trade Center.
Chrysler hired American architect William Van Alen to design his building. The young architect had only been in practice for a few years but had already received attention for his innovative use of steel in construction. He also drew on the Art Deco style for inspiration with its sleek lines and dramatic curves. The foundation stone was laid in April 1929 and the building was completed six months later at a cost of $7 million. It was originally called the New York World's Fair Building after it was planned as the main exhibit at the New York World's Fair in 1939. When World War II broke out that year, most of the exhibits were still unfinished so the building was used instead for government offices and storage space.
After the end of the war, Chrysler decided not to continue leasing out space in the building and put it up for sale. In 1950, a real estate syndicate led by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons bought the building for $12.5 million and began renovating it.
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