The Chrysler Building, High 319 meters and placed on 77-storey skyscraper is the most beautiful city of New York.
I always say New Yorkers. It is confirmed by the experts: a survey conducted in 2005 by the Skyscraper Museum (Museum of New York with its skyscrapers theme) on one hundred architects, builders, critics, engineers, historians, has ranked first among the most beautiful skyscrapers in Manhattan.
THE DREAM OF TWO MEN
In 1928, Walter Chrysler had everything, but luck was not enough. Thus was born the Chrysler Building.
Walter Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, 50 years of age and the culmination of an extraordinary career in management in the automotive industry that had enshrined as one of the richest men in America. In just three years, from 1925 to 1928, Chrysler was then increased from 32 ° 3rd place in the ranking of the largest American car. So at the end of 1928, Walter Chrysler was on the cover of Time , with one of the awards even today among the most coveted "Man of the Year."
At that point, Chrysler decided that his company deserved an appropriate forum. Incidentally, it also decided that the seat should be the tallest skyscraper in New York. It began the project Chrysler Building.
William Van Alen, architect with a reputation for showmanship, it was the right man to share the ambition of Chrysler and turn it into reality.
But Van Alen and Chrysler were not alone in the race to the tallest skyscraper. In the canyons Lower Manhattan, specifically in the Financial District, the 34 year old banker George Ohrstrom (nicknamed "The Kid") was doing, at 40 Wall Street, the skyscraper will house the headquarters of his bank, Bank of Manhattan. The architect was H. Ohrstrom Craig Severance. Curiously, in the past Severance and Van Alen had been members of the same architectural firm, which sharpened the competition, adding an element of challenge in the challenge.
Eventually, with the Bank of Manhattan building formally completed and the Chrysler Building in the pipeline, there seemed no doubt: 40 Wall Street was the highest!
VAN ALEN AND THE SECRET OF GUGLIE
The game seemed lost, but Van Alen had a shot in the Serbian theater. In great secrecy, had obtained permission to build a spire atop the skyscraper spiral about two hundred feet high. The spire was built secretly inside the palace, in the elevator shaft, assembling the individual parts from outside, so that no one would suspect what was about to happen. Then, while still all average citizens were celebrating the victory of Severance and Bank of Manhattan, took only 90 frantic minutes to mount the spire and rewrite the history of world architecture.
Walter William Van Alen and Chrysler had made it: theirs was the tallest skyscraper in New York. To be sure, the record did not last long so painstakingly achieved, because a year after his inauguration (which took place on May 27, 1930), the Chrysler was surpassed in height from the Empire State Building, which became the number one of the skyscrapers of Manhattan . The superb elegance and impressive architectural elegance of the Chrysler Building: those, however, were destined to last forever.
A special that deserves to be widely demonstrated: due to high security standards adopted, no workers died during construction of the building.
VICTORY BITTER
After the excitement of the moment, unfortunately, happened to Van Alen had a taste bitter. Walter Chrysler wrongly accused him of having pocketed the commissions from the companies that had worked on the construction of the building and refused to pay his bill for his work as an architect. Although at the end of Van Alen won the case, the accusations made against him by his powerful client severely compromised his future career, to the point that in the coming years, he had virtually no job and fell into oblivion. Walter Chrysler did not ever appointed in his 1937 autobiography, speaking generically of "architects". In 1941, a year after the death of Chrysler, the New York Times brought the news that Van Alen was at work on a project that involved the construction of underground garages. Then nothing, until his death in 1954.
Meanwhile, a year earlier, in 1953, the heirs of Walter Chrysler had sold the building that still bears their name, and then they were not more owners.
architectural charm
The Chrysler Building, Art Deco style developed, it has many elements rich in charm and curiosity.
The most striking is undoubtedly the magnificent spire above it. Made of stainless steel, in stylized form suggests the reason for the rising of the sun.
On the facade of the building then appear several references automobile. In particular, on the 31st floor, the four corners of the building decorated with ornaments that have the shape of the radiator cap of the Chrysler era. At the same height, you can admire the decorations depicting the wheels of cars. In several parts of the building also appears in the logo carved zigzag Chrysler.
Finally, on the 61st floor protrude from the corners of the gargoyles in the form of an American eagle.
Darkness Falls, the highest part of the Chrysler Building lights up, thus giving all its charm to the night in New York.
A HALL TO DISCOVER
Unlike other New York skyscrapers, the Chrysler Building has its own observatory on the top floors open to the public, or restaurants where you dine and enjoy the view the city. The only area of \u200b\u200bthe tower open to tourists is its atrium. Which is very elegant and refined, in perfect harmony with the beauty of the exterior. Visiting it, you can admire decorations in marble, granite and chrome steel. The elevator doors are decorated with fine wood inlay reminiscent of Egyptian motifs. The ceiling, painted by Edward Trumbull, is a beautiful fresco images of buildings, planes and scenes from the Chrysler assembly line.
SUPERHEROES AND MONSTERS
Given the nature of icon of New York City, the Chrysler Building has made several appearances in films, TV series, cartoons, comics, video games, books, advertising images.
begin this journey of discovery of his media appearances with something totally unclear. In 1982, director Larry Cohen directs the B-movie Q - The Winged Serpent , where a huge winged monster with the head of the snake sowing panic in the Big Apple, feeding on prey that is on the upper floors of buildings (washer workers on construction sites, girls in bikinis on the penthouses). The monster - guess what '- has its headquarters hidden just on the top of the Chrysler Building. A police detective - played by David Carradine - investigates to discover what lies behind the mysterious trail of sudden disappearances. Meanwhile, a thief on the run to discover if the basis of being unclean and tries to blackmail the city. A curiosity: the thief in question is played by Michael Moriarty, now famous for his role as Ben Stone on Law and Order . If anything
reading these few lines I had already got the mouth watering, know that the film (which I have made a few years ago had the good fortune to see on Odeon TV) is also available on DVD in Italian under the title The Serpent Winged .
Staying on the subject of monsters, a very different reputation can boast Roland Emmerich's Godzilla (1998). Here, the Chrysler Building is a very bad end, but Godzilla is its only indirectly responsible. In an attempt, in fact, break down the monster, a military helicopter shoots at the two rockets, but missed the target and centered in the middle of the Chrysler building.
Who does not affect the Chrysler Building but is instead passed through literally Silver Surfer during his chase in the skies over Manhattan with the Human Torch. The scene is contained in the film The Fantatici Four and Silver Surfer (2007) and is also taken from the original trailer for the film.
continue to deal with superheroes but change media. In the cartoon Spider-Man dated 1994/1998, kingpin, the terrible crime boss of New York City that operates cloaked as an honest businessman, has its headquarters at the Chrysler Building. Area
video games. In Parasite Eve , concluded a successful first game, you can access a new mode where you see the Chrysler Building, the protagonist has to climb, facing - after floor plan - a series of increasingly monstrous creatures, and ruthless.
Finally, a quote comic that is both a cherished memory. In issue 146 of Amazing Spider-Man Spider-Man pursues one of its more traditional rivals, the Scorpion, far and wide across the rooftops of New York, to the top of the Chrysler Building, where he defeats him. This story is the first-ever Spider-Man I had the pleasure of reading. The year was 1977, the Italian edition was Man Spider number 186 and the logo on the cover was that of the (unforgettable) Editorial Horn ...
