LEGO Architecture 21028 New York City Building Instructions page 8

Chrysler Building
At 1,046 ft. (319 m) the Chrysler Building was the world's
tallest building for 11 months before being surpassed by
the Empire State Building in 1931. It remains the tallest
steel-supported brick building in the world and is seen as
an outstanding example of classic Art Deco architecture.
It was designed by New York architect William Van Alen for
Walter P. Chrysler, chairman of the Chrysler Corporation,
and construction commenced in September 1928.
Almost 400,000 rivets were used in the creation of the
steel skeleton and over 3.8 million bricks were manually
laid as the building took shape.
As the building would be the headquarters for an
automobile company, many of the architectural details
including the gargoyles were modeled after Chrysler
automobile parts. The iconic stainless-steel crown is
composed of seven radiating arches ending in a 125 ft.
(38 m) long spire.
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Declared a US National Historic Landmark in 1976, the
Chrysler Building is consistently rated one of the finest
buildings in New York by architects and scholars. Since
the observation deck on the 71st floor officially closed
in 1945, visitors today can still view the spectacular Art
Deco lobby.
[ "The Chrysler Building...
was one of the
most accomplished
essays in the style." ]
John Julius Norwich