Obscure facts about the Chrysler Building
The structure is one of the most recognizable features of the New York skyline, the Art Deco masterpiece with its characteristic, easily identifiable rooftop.
The part that’s well known
It’s well known that the Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world, and many know the tale of a top-secret spire being erected and topping the structure. For those who don’t know the legendary tale, the Chrysler Building had topped out at 921 feet (281 m) in 1929. Three and a half miles south in Lower Manhattan, the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building (now known as 40 Wall Street) was also under construction, poised to become the world champion with a planned design reaching 927 feet (283 m).
But Chrysler’s architect William Van Alen was determined to win this fierce competition. On October 23, 1929, they topped the Chrysler Building with a 125-foot-spire that had been surreptitiously developed, becoming the world’s first building to break the 1,000-foot barrier at 1,046 feet. The Bank of Manhattan building was now unable to win in this unofficial competition, angry about the secretive maneuver. They topped out their building in November of 1929 at 927 feet as planned.
Beyond this well-known tale, there are some obscure facts I find intriguing.
Little-known fact #1
Despite the Chrysler Building being taller once the spire was added, the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building did claim the title of the world’s tallest completed building on a technicality. It opened on May 1, 1930, as the world champion. But that victory lasted only 25 days when the Chrysler Building opened on May 26.
Little-known fact #2
The Chrysler Building is still the tallest brick building with steel framework in the world, containing 3,826,000 bricks. But the Anaconda Smelter Stack chimney built in 1918 in Montana is the world’s tallest all-brick structure at 585 feet (178.3 m).
Little-known fact #3
When the spire was added to the top of the Chrysler Building on October 23, 1929, it was the day before Black Thursday. That event initiated the infamous Wall Street Crash of 1929 which accelerated the subsequent Great Depression.
Little-known fact #4
The previous building occupying the Chrysler property only lasted 51 days from groundbreaking to demolition. Funds for the partially built Reynolds Building dried up, and it was quickly replaced by the Chrysler project.
Little-known fact #5
Perhaps the least-known fact of all is not documented on the Internet nor in the media. The Chrysler Building was so ahead of its time in stature that it still ranked among the top 100 tallest in the world until early 2018. Even throughout the skyscraper boom in New York, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East that began around 1990, Chrysler held onto that top 100 ranking for so long. But it was only a matter of time.
Prior to 1990, no building in Asia topped 1,000 feet. Between 1990 and 2020, there were 88 buildings completed above that threshold, pushing the Chrysler Building further down the list year after year, decade after decade.
At the beginning of 2018, the Chrysler Building was still ranked 96th in the world. In March, without fanfare, the structure unceremoniously dropped off the list. Despite no press covering the momentous occasion, this skyscraper nerd definitely took notice for one reason only. As someone chasing down the top 100 buildings in the world and attempting to enter each one, I keep careful statistics. And the removal of the Chrysler Building from the world’s top 100 meant I would need to visit yet another building in China to keep up.
At least Chrysler was still the 19th tallest in the U.S. in 2021, dropping to 22nd by 2025, but firmly within the top 100 for many decades to come. My numerous self-guided walking tours of Manhattan have helped me check off 98 of the top 100 American buildings, a goal once complete but perpetually being erased with modern New York construction. If I can just find a way into the private condos of #2 Central Park Tower and #6 432 Park Avenue, I can RE-complete this travel goal.
No comments:
Post a Comment