Assignment 2 – Architectural Analysis Vannessa E. San Juan Image 2

CHRYSLER BUILDING

Assignment 2 – Architectural Analysis Vannessa E. San Juan Image 2

Building Name:

Building/Architectural Style: Art Deco

Location: 405 Lexington Avenue, , New York

Date: 1930

Architect: William Van Alen

Historical Influence: The building references Gothic Revival and Ancient Egyptian Geometry.

Characteristics

Roof: The Chrysler Building stands 319 meters (1,047 feet) high, with added height from the spire. This extra height enabled the building to surpass a rival project at 40 Street as the tallest building and the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure. It is regarded as the tallest brick building in the world. As of 2019, it is the 11th tallest building in the , tied with The New York Times Building.

Building Materials: The building made use of 391,881 rivets and 29,961 tons of steel; approximately 3,826,000 bricks were manually laid to create the non-loadbearing of the .

The building is clad in white brick. Dark gray brickwork was used as horizontal decoration to enhance window rows.

Windows: The building has a total of 3,862 windows that gaze out on New York. The windows were arranged in grids and do not have window sills; the frames flush with the facade.

Triangular vaulted windows reminiscent of the spokes of a wheel adorned the entire crown. These windows, radiating in a sunburst pattern, were repeated in smaller form on the terraced crown’s seven narrow setbacks.

Doors: The doors amplify the art deco tenet of visual impact of entrances---revolving doors beneath intricately patterned metal and glass screens

Structural and Ornamental/Decorative Features: The Chrysler Building includes a series of “setbacks” or places where the tower narrows as the building rises. As more and more rose alongside each other, the setbacks gave them aesthetic Assignment 2 – Architectural Analysis Vannessa E. San Juan Image 2 variety and also prevented the tall structures from completely blocking the sun. This allowed the city to expand upward without destroying the quality of life on the ground.

It is interesting to note that the context of setbacks in art deco architecture rose because of the economic boom in the 1920s and paved the way for a wave of new skyscrapers in ---tall buildings symbolizing progress, innovation, and modernity.

The ornamentation at each setback along the exterior were subtle nods to particular emblems of the Chrysler company or automobiles in general. For example, a decorative brick frieze at the thirtieth floor sports a wheel and fender motif, while a series of chromed steel, eagle-head gargoyles (influences from Gothic Revival architecture) at the sixtieth floor are associated with a specific make of a car.

These ornamentations are made of bright Nirosta (non-rusting steel) stainless steel, which was used extensively in the project to provide the illusion of rising lines and diminishing circular forms in the roof treatment and accentuate the gradual upward swing until it literally dissolves into the sky. In other words, the stainless steel gave the illusion of movement and volume to these rather static ornamentations, creating various silhouettes depending on how the light shines on them.

The ground floor exterior is covered in polished black granite, while the three floors above it are clad in white marble. There are two main entrances, each three floors high with polished black granite surrounding each proscenium-shaped entryway.

The Chrysler Building embodied the Art Deco motifs of sunburst and geometric patterns, machine-like forms, and use of distinctive elements such as the horizontal black-and-white stripes between floors.

Additional Notes: Another structure that I knew I had to include in this assignment, despite being already cited in the module, was the Chrysler Building. I first heard of this building about a decade ago when I was watching the pilot season of a fashion design show. I had been so fascinated with design, or art for that matter, ever since I was a kid. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a supportive mom and for that I had to go a different route. Anyway, I was watching the show and the challenge was to design an evening dress, if I’m not mistaken, based on the architecture of New York. The design that won was a dress inspired by the Chrysler Building. The distinct triangles on the front of the dress, the shiny fabric, indeed, spoke Chrysler Building. And that’s when I came to understand that architecture inspires fashion, and fashion inspires architecture/interior design.

Assignment 2 – Architectural Analysis Vannessa E. San Juan Image 2

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-the-chrysler-building/ https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/architecture-design/ny-skyscrapers-landmarks/a/van- alen-chrysler-building https://www.learner.org/series/art-through-time-a-global-view/the-urban-experience/chrysler-building/