Chrysler Building: Art Deco Spire at Sunset

The Chrysler Building, completed in 1930 by architect William Van Alen, held the title of world's tallest building for eleven months before the Empire State Building surpassed it. At 319 metres, its stainless-steel crown and Art Deco ornament remain the most elegant skyscraper silhouette in Manhattan.

Built for Walter Chrysler as the headquarters of his automobile company, the tower's decorative programme celebrates the Machine Age with hubcap-inspired gargoyles, radiator-cap finials, and eagle ornaments referencing Chrysler hood ornaments.

Art Deco crown and spire

The crown's seven radiating arches clad in Nirosta stainless steel culminate in a needle spire that was assembled secretly inside the building and hoisted through the roof in 90 minutes - a publicity stunt that won the height race against 40 Wall Street.

The triangular windows of the crown create a lantern effect when illuminated at night, making the building visible across the metropolitan region. The steel's alloy resists corrosion, maintaining its silver sheen without repainting.

Lobby and interior craftsmanship

The lobby features red Moroccan marble, amber onyx, and chrome handrails. A ceiling mural by Edward Trumbull - Transport and Human Endeavor - celebrates aviation and automotive progress in vivid Art Deco colour.

The elevator doors incorporate inlaid wood marquetry in Japanese lacquer style, each floor with a different species and pattern. These details reward close inspection often missed by visitors who see only the exterior.

Structural system and speed

The Chrysler Building uses a steel frame with masonry cladding - standard for its era but executed with unusual attention to setback transitions. The 61-storey tower rises from a base that accommodates the elevated subway lines at Lexington Avenue.

Construction proceeded at a rate of four floors per week, employing riveters and steelworkers in the same competitive frenzy that defined New York's skyscraper race of the late 1920s.

Legacy and restricted access

Unlike the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building's crown is not open to the public - its interior volumes house mechanical equipment and private offices. The lobby is accessible during business hours, offering the most intimate encounter with Van Alen's decorative programme.

The building changed ownership multiple times and underwent lobby restoration in the 1990s that recovered Trumbull's mural from layers of paint. It remains a beloved silhouette even as taller towers have reshaped Midtown.

The Chrysler Building is the one skyscraper that looks like it could fly - a machine ready to leave the ground. - Paul Goldberger

Seeing the Chrysler Building

View the crown from the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street at twilight when interior lights ignite the steel arches. The Pershing Square overpass frames the tower against the Grand Central Terminal backdrop.

Lobby access is free during weekday business hours - step inside for the mural and elevator doors before continuing to the nearby Summit observation deck at One Vanderbilt for overhead views that include the Chrysler crown.