The Chrysler Building remains one of America's most beautiful skyscrapers and a grand evocation of Jazz Age New York. But this architectural tribute to the automobile is also the greatest reminder of a furious construction surge that transformed the city in the 1920s.
After World War I, New York became newly prosperous, one of the undisputed business capitals of the world. The tallest building was the Woolworth Building, but the city's rise in prominence demanded new, taller towers, taking advantage of improvements in steel-frame construction and a clever 'wedding cake' zoning law that allowed for ever-higher buildings.
Into this world came William Van Alen and H. Craig Severance, two former architectural partners who had unamicably separated and were now designing rival skyscrapers. Each man wanted to make the tallest building in the world.
But Van Alan had the upper hand, backed by one of America's most famous businessmen -- Walter Chrysler. His automobiles were the coolest, sleekest vehicles in the marketplace. His brand required a skyscraper of radical design and surprising height.
In 1930, the Chrysler became the tallest building in the world, a title it held until the Empire State Building.
Just ten years ago, the Chrysler Building was the fourth tallest in New York City. Today, however, it's the thirteenth tallest building in the city. And that's because of a new skyscraper surge shaping the city's skyline, with supertalls making the skyscrapers of old feel very small in comparison.
It can be bewildering to see the skyline change so rapidly. But that's exactly how New Yorkers felt exactly one century ago.
Visit our website for pictures and other episodes
#128 Hoaxes and Conspiracies of 1864
#127 The Civil War Draft Riots
#126 Fernando Wood: The Scoundrel Mayor
#125 Sardi's Restaurant
#124 Idlewild/JFK Airport
#123 TRUMP
#122: The Grid - Commissioners Plan of 1811
#121 Fraunces Tavern
#120 NYC and the Birth of the Movies
#119 The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
#118 Times Square
#117 Mark Twain's New York
#116 American Museum of Natural History
#115 African Burial Ground
#114 Supernatural Stories of New York
#113 Niblo's Garden
#112 Archibald Gracie and His Mansion
Subway Graffiti 1970-1989
#110 New York City Subway, Part 2: By the Numbers (and Letters)
#109 New York City Subway, Part 1: Birth of the IRT
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra