Who Built The Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is one of the most well known buildings in New York City. It is best known for its classic Art Deco architecture and is considered to be one of the finest buildings in the United States. It was the tallest building in the world for a period of just 11 months before the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931. It is 319.9 m (1,050 ft.) tall and was the first building to reach the 1000 feet. It has 77 floors and 32 elevators that service the building. If you have ever wondered who built this impressive structure, keep reading to find out.
Who built the Chrysler Building?
The Chrysler Building was financed by Walter Percy Chrysler, who was the founder of the Chrysler Corporation. The building was designed by architect William Van Alen, who was instructed to win the race for the tallest building in the world against the rival project, 40 Wall Street. Construction was undertaken by hundreds of contractors, builders and engineers at an average rate of four floors per week. It began on September 19, 1928 and was completed on May 20, 1930. Despite the rush to build the tallest building in the world, no workers were killed during construction.
Did you know?
The consulting architects of the 40 Wall Street skyscraper wrote to a local newspaper claiming that their tower was actually taller because it had the highest useable floor. However, this argument was quickly squashed after the construction of the Empire State Building.
Architect William Van Alen requested the standard fee after construction, but Walter Chrysler refused payment. He sued Chrysler and won, but it damaged his reputation and he never again worked on a large project.
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