When visiting New York City, no matter where you travel, you are bound to pass several historical landmarks. The city is a most beautiful place when viewed through the right lens. One can literally see a standing timeline in the life of New York City by observing the different buildings as well as their features.
Many incorporate elaborate architecture that is designed to catch the eye of people on the street. During the industrial age there was a hearty competition amongst business moguls who desired for their building to be most revered. One such business mogul was Walter P. Chrysler, the chairman of the Chrysler Automobile Corporation.
Walter P. Chrysler had a goal of producing the tallest building in New York City. It was through his personal financing, and the carefully designed architecture of William Van Alen that he was able to succeed in reaching his goal of building the highest skyscraper in New York City; The Chrysler Building. The Chrysler Building held this title for nearly one year before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building. To date, it is one of the most unique works of art to grace the New York City Skyline and remains a must-see tourist attraction.
Construction of the Chrysler Building began in September of 1928 and was completed just over a year later in May of 1929. It was constructed at an astonishing rate of 4 floors per week! The Chrysler Building rises 77 stories, and 1,047 feet above the busy streets of New York City and its structure incorporates nearly 30,000 tons of steel, 4 million bricks and almost 5000 windows! It was designed as a testament to the accomplishments of the Chrysler Automobile Corporation and machine age both inside and out. Its interior design incorporated murals depicting the Chrysler assembly line where its reliable automobiles were produced, and rich furnishings such as marble, onyx and amber. Its exterior is breathtaking, and is decorated with gargoyles designed after the different hood ornaments of Chryslers’ automobiles as well as plenty of stainless steel and polished glass. Not only was it the first building to employ the use of such a large amount of steel, it was the first man-made structure to rise above 1,000 feet.
The Chrysler Building has most definitely earned its place in history books and was declared a national historical landmark in 1976. It remained one of the tallest buildings in New York City for quite some time. Today the Chrysler Building is the third tallest building in the city. The Chrysler family held ownership of the building until 1947. Since then it has changed hands quite a few times. Today the building is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, which has a 90% stake in the building. It still remains open to the public who desire to see this wonderful standing testament to New York City History and is a must-see if not for the beautiful views and photo opportunities alone!
