The Chrysler Building is an iconic Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue.
The Chrysler Building was erected at an average rate of four floors per week, and no workers were killed during construction.
In an American Institute of Architects' poll, the Chrysler Building came in first place as 90 percent of them placed the building in their top ten favorite buildings.
Featuring automobile-related designs around its facade, the Chrysler Building was built in homage to the success of the auto giant for which it is named.
The added height allowed the Chrysler Building to surpass both 40 Wall Street and the Eiffel Tower as the tallest building and the tallest structure in the world.
Walter Chrysler never paid Van Alen for his work on the Chrysler Building because he believed that the architect had some suspicious financial arrangements with the building's contractors.
The Chrysler Building was built at a cost of $20 million and relied heavily on steel with brick facing to achieve its 77 stories at 1,047 feet.
More than simply a structure, and an architecturally magnificent one at that, the Chrysler Building is a window into a short, vital, and exciting period in American history.
The Chrysler Building's distinctive profile has inspired similar skyscrapers worldwide, including One Liberty Place in Philadelphia.