Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco masterpiece with its terraced, stainless steel crown radiating across New York City's skyline. Built to house the Chrysler Corporation, the skyscraper's design incorporates many elements of the automobile manufacturer's brand such as the gargoyle eagles which are perched on the 61st floor's exterior.
When construction began on the building in 1928, there was an intense rivalry between developers in New York to build the tallest skyscraper in the world. The competition with the builders of 40 Wall Street was so fierce that the Chrysler Building's spire was constructed in secret within its frame to avoid detection from prying eyes. Completed on May 28 1930, the building's reign as the tallest in the world was nonetheless shortlived, as it was overtaken by the Empire State Building in less than a year.
The structure holds the record as the tallest brick building in the world, and is supported by a steel frame and metal cladding. Nearly 4 million bricks were laid manually to create the Chrysler Building's non-load bearing walls, allowing it to ascend to a previously unattained height.
As the building approaches its 80th birthday, it remains an engaging and much-loved feature of New York. In 2005, leading architects, engineers, builders and historians voted the Chrysler Building as the most endeared of all the city's skyscrapers, proving its charm is yet to be tarnished.
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