| Chrysler Building | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Type |
Offices |
|
Construction started |
1928 |
|
Construction ended |
1930 |
|
Location |
405 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan |
|
Height |
1,046 ft (319 m) |
|
Floor count |
77 |
|
Owner |
Tishman Speyer |
|
Architect |
William Van Alen |
|
Architectural style |
Art Deco |
The Chrysler Building is a skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan . It was built in 1930, and was the tallest building in the world until the completion of the Empire State Building 11 months later. It is currently tied for 5th-tallest building in Manhattan with the New York Times Building .
Although the building was built and designed specifically for the car manufacturer, the company did not pay for its construction and was never the owner, because Walter P. Chrysler decided to pay for it himself to be a personal project. Its construction was marked for the competition to be the tallest building in the world, in which its main rival was the Bank of Manhattan Building (now The Trump Building), with a final height of 282.5 m, while the Chrysler Building was to stay at 281.9 m. However, a few months after the completion of the Bank of Manhattan Building, a pyramid needle was secretly built inside the Chrysler Building and installed on its top, reaching a total height of 319 m.