Chrysler Building

Why go

The tower brings the machine-age side of Art Deco into focus. William Van Alen designed it for Walter P. Chrysler, and details modeled on automobile products connect its ornament to that purpose. Its location at Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street makes an exterior look a natural extension of a Grand Central visit.

What to look for

• The steel crown and spire define the tower’s skyline silhouette.
• Automobile-inspired ornament connects the tower to Walter P. Chrysler’s project.

The full story

The Chrysler Building emerged from an intense race to build New York’s tallest skyscraper. Construction began in 1928, and its height briefly gave it the world record before the Empire State Building surpassed it in 1931. That short reign is a useful reminder that the skyline’s most recognizable forms were shaped by competition as well as function. Walter P. Chrysler personally financed the building so his children could inherit it; the automobile corporation did not own the project, despite its association with the tower. Van Alen revised the design after Chrysler took it over, adding stories and translating the automobile business into architectural details. The result links a commercial office tower with the design language of cars and machinery. From the street, its crown and ornament make that connection more legible than a list of height rankings would.

Useful to know

• Plan the visit around exterior views rather than lobby entry.
• Combine the stop with nearby Grand Central Terminal.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.