The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, designed by the architect William Van Alen for the car manufacturer Walter Chrysler. It is known for its crown of stacked stainless-steel arches with triangular windows, and for its decorative gargoyles shaped like eagles and radiator caps, which echo automobile design. The spire was assembled secretly inside the building and then raised into place, which let it overtake a rival tower on Wall Street to become the tallest building in the world. It held the record for only a short time before the Empire State Building surpassed it, but remains a symbol of New York.
Before and after
- 10 April 1931Death of Kahlil Gibran
- from 14 April 1931 to 1 April 1939Second Spanish Republic
- 15 April 1931Birth of Tomas Tranströmer
- 1 May 1931Construction of Empire State Building
- 27 May 1931Construction of Chrysler Building
- 3 June 1931Birth of Raúl Castro
- 10 July 1931Birth of Alice Munro
- 11 July 1931Construction of Ernst-Happel-Stadion
- 8 August 1931Birth of Roger Penrose
More in Art, literature & culture
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.