The Chrysler Building Turns 95: Art Deco’s Most Glamorous Moment

Ninety-five years ago, a gleaming spire of stainless steel and Nirosta metal pierced the Manhattan skyline, announcing to the world that America had arrived at the zenith of architectural ambition. The Chrysler Building, completed in 1930, remains not merely a skyscraper but a declaration of artistic intent that has never been surpassed in sheer glamour.

Architect William Van Alen designed what many consider the purest expression of Art Deco architecture ever constructed. The building’s distinctive crown, with its seven radiating terraced arches clad in nearly 4,000 triangular windows, catches the morning sun and transforms it into something approaching the divine. This wasn’t just engineering; it was jewelry on a metropolitan scale.

The Race for the Sky

The Chrysler Building’s story is inseparable from the legendary competition with 40 Wall Street for the title of world’s tallest building. Van Alen famously concealed the 185-foot spire inside the building’s crown, assembling it secretly before hoisting it into place in just 90 minutes. The resulting 1,046-foot tower briefly claimed the crown before the Empire State Building surpassed it a year later.

But height alone never defined the Chrysler’s legacy. The building’s ornamentation pays homage to the automobile industry that funded it. At the 31st floor, massive stainless steel eagle gargoyles modeled after 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments gaze outward like mechanical guardians. The corners of the 61st floor feature winged radiator caps, while the building’s brick facade incorporates hubcap-inspired designs.

Art Deco’s Defining Characteristics

Art Deco emerged in the 1920s as a rejection of the organic curves of Art Nouveau. The style embraced geometric patterns, bold colors, and luxurious materials in a celebration of modernity and progress. The Chrysler Building embodies these principles perfectly: its triangular windows, chevron patterns, and sunburst motifs create a visual rhythm that feels both ancient and futuristic.

The lobby, recently restored to its original magnificence, features red African marble walls, amber onyx, and a ceiling mural by Edward Trumbull depicting images of energy, human endeavor, and transportation. Walking through this space feels like stepping into a 1930s vision of tomorrow that somehow never went out of style.

Why It Endures

The Chrysler Building’s continued relevance speaks to something profound about human taste. While modernist glass boxes from the 1960s and 1970s often feel dated and cold, the Chrysler’s elaborate ornamentation connects to deeper artistic traditions. Its setback silhouette follows the 1916 Zoning Resolution that shaped Manhattan’s distinctive skyline, but Van Alen transformed legal requirement into aesthetic virtue.

Today, architectural critics and everyday observers consistently rank the Chrysler Building among America’s finest structures. Its combination of technological innovation and artistic ambition represents a moment when architects believed that buildings could be both functional and transcendent. As we mark this 95th anniversary, the Chrysler Building reminds us that true glamour never fades.

The next time you find yourself in Midtown Manhattan, pause at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street. Look up at those gleaming arches catching the light, and you’ll understand why some buildings become more than architecture. They become dreams made permanent in steel and stone.