The Statuesque Skyscrapers of New York City

Yashodhan H. Mangukia

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Abstract

A major style of architecture in New York City during the early twentieth century was Art Deco.

Art Deco style specially in NYC showed the world the new face of building design by pushing all

the boundaries. This essay gives the history of Art Deco, its role in buildings of that time,

information about construction phase of building, different challenges and how they were tackled

of some of those buildings. There are many differences in the buildings which this essay talks

about in terms of design, intention of design, their designers, end result and much more but one

mutual thing is the style of design used in them which is Art Deco. These buildings are the key

elements of the beautiful canvas-Skyline of New York City.

Keywords: Art Deco, New York City, Skyscraper, Architecture.

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Whenever the name New York City pops up, there are few things that straight away pops-

up in mind and one of that is definitely the skyline of Big Apple. A single building simply cannot

make the best skyline in the world. There are many beautiful and unique buildings in the city that

never sleeps which contributes to this canvas. This exhilarating city’s skyline is ever evolving but

there are buildings specially the Art Deco jewels which still stands tall even today.

The utility, design, height, volume and many other things of any building are dependent on many

factors. Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity states that ‘Everything is Relative’ (Einstein, 1920).

It doesn’t just apply to physics or any particular phenomenon but to the whole world and the ever-

expanding universe. Economy of America was booming in the early 1900s and that allowed

businessman to open their hands freely (White). The effect was mirrored everywhere including the

buildings that were built during that period. The major upraises and distinctive development in

terms of design, uniqueness and quantity of building was seen in the office spaces. Since radical

and boundaryless design was appreciated and allowed by different business tycoons specially for

their own office building, there was a steep incline in the office buildings.

The demand for more volume proliferated and due to less ground space, the era of skyscrapers

started with the invention of steel frame structures. Steel frame structures allowed builders and

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architects to construct buildings higher than twenty storeys which otherwise would not have been

possible in concrete structures.

Fig 1: View of midtown Manhattan which is the business sector of Manhattan in the 1930s (left)
and present (right).
Joseph, E. (2013) Cityscape: New York Then and Now. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from
https://www.wfuv.org/content/cityscape-new-york-then-and-now

Willis (1995) explains that economic and programmatic formulas for quality office space has

primary importance. These formulas create standardized templates of which the modifiers are local

conditions: historic grids of blocks and lots, municipal codes, zoning which caused tall buildings

to develop distinctive forms. This creates a vernacular unique to each city (Vlack, 1974). Taking

the example of Midtown Manhattan, the black rock bed and FSI norms in New York City allowed

builders to build buildings higher than the Eiffel Tower.

According to Vlack (1974), the twenty-year period from the early 1920s through the 1930s

produced some of the most revolutionary architecture ever known (Vlack, 1974). Art Deco style

of architecture came to New York City in the early 1900s and it truly flourished as international

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style during the 1920s and 1930s. The name ‘Art Deco’ comes from the 1925 Paris Exposition

Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. Some of the architectural masterpieces

which are Art Deco triumphs of New York City are the Flatiron Building (1902), the Woolworth

Building (1912), the American Radiator Building (1924), Rockefeller Center (1930-1939), the

Chrysler Building (1930) and the Empire State Building (1931).

Art Deco was a part of a design problem where the world saw a whole new side of what geometric

shapes can do when integrated with design. It turned out to be one of the most prominent styles in

history. The aesthetic movement rose and fell in the period between the two World Wars and

played a major role in shaping the West’s modern imagination, particularly within France and the

United States (Vlack, 1974). Weber (2005) explains that just as central to the Art Deco style were

the avant-garde art movements of the early twentieth century. From cubism came stylization and

geometric abstraction, while the vibrant colors of Art Deco were shared with fauvism, Orphism,

and synchronism. Art Deco grew out of yearning, aggressive desire to get rid of the past and

embrace the future in all its man-made, machine-driven glory (Tubach, 2018).

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Fig 2: The top section of the Flatiron Building which shows the artistic columns.
Author. (2019). Living at the Center. [Photo]

Jason Barr, an economist at Rutgers University, Newark explains that the skyscraper represents

the economy and the power which comes with great economy to build great monuments (Giles,

2019). The Flatiron Building (Fig 2) which is located on the intersection of Broadway and 5th

Avenue at 23rd Street was designed by architect Daniel H. Burnham of D. H. Burnham & Co. The

5th Avenue being one of the important and popular Avenue in New York City and Broadway being

the only street which intersects every Avenue and Streets at an angle; it was going to be the center

of attraction and thus bore the responsibility of being future landmark. The site area of the Flatiron

Building was shaped as a right-angled triangle. The space was known as the Flatiron for its

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resemblance to a household clothes iron. When completed in 1902, the 285 foot twenty-one storeys

high Flatiron Building was the tallest in the world (Collins, 2002) (Willis, 1995) (Ziga, 1993).

Due to triangular shaped site, the northern vertex of the building is only 6.5 feet wide (Fig 3). This

narrow portion does obstruct in terms of space usage but has interesting spatial configuration

within the building where slanting walls accommodate for the narrow corner offices that open up

to panoramic views of Midtown Manhattan. Manhattan has been and always will be synonymous

with the overarching imposition of the grid system that defines the entire city, but each block as

part of a larger collective system (Kroll, 2011).

Fig 3: The plan of Flatiron Building where details of how the space was divided for offices is
seen.
[2011]. Untitled. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/109134/ad-
classics-flatiron-building-daniel-burnham

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Due to its unusual shape and slenderness, people thought it would collapse upon completion and

even placed their bets on how much debris would generate after it collapses. The structural part is

entirely made up of steel while the outer part of the building is clad in limestone and glazed with

terra cotta, which amplifies the heavy, yet rich aesthetic. Even after 100 years, Flatiron Building

stays as it was built and is an architectural icon and international tourist spot (Kroll, 2011).

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Fig 4: Due to such unique shape of site, the building appeared unusual than the other buildings
due to grid pattern.
Unknown. (1902). Untitled. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0117/3662/products/flatiron-building-under-construction-new-
york-n-y-1902.jpeg?v=1482567839

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The Chrysler Building (Fig 5), built in 1930 is referred as the greatest Art Deco example. The

Chrysler Building is a classic example of the Art Deco style, from the street to its terraced crown.

Interior and exterior alike, it is admired for its distinctive ornamentation based on features that

were also found on Chrysler automobiles at the time (Sveiven, 2010). The amount of dedication

for creating one’s own building can be clearly seen in the end result. Walter Chrysler wanted to

build his corporate headquarter for his three-year-old automobile company - Chrysler

Automobiles. He found an area at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street and

architect William Van Alen was given the responsibility. Van Alen had built a reputation as one

of the most daring new generation radicals of American architecture. The design of Chrysler

Building proves the previous sentence (Stanges, 2005).

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Fig 5: The streamline design language and ziggurat influence in Van Alen is clearly seen.
Author. (2019). The Modern Day Pyramid. [Photograph]

Chrysler was impressed by Van Alen’s design for the site, but as someone who attributed his

success as an automobile manufacturer to his own artistic and technical judgment, he immersed

himself in the project, intending to leave his personal imprint on the exterior of the building (Vlack,

2015). Triangles emanate from the rounded tiers decorating the top of the Chrysler Building; the

arrangement resembles the sun radiating toward a peak, invoking the man-over-nature power

captured by the gravity-defying skyscraper. As an architectural cherry on top, the building’s iconic

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metal gargoyles are extraordinarily sleek, bearing more of a resemblance to the hood ornament of

a car than the motif’s traditionally fearsome Victorian counterparts (Tubach, 2018).

Walter Chrysler ordered three major changes to Van Alen’s proposed design drawing: first the

building would be increased in size from sixty-eight to seventy-seven stories rising to height of

809 feet; next, the tower would be reduced in thickness or ‘streamlined’, in the business jargon of

the day, to satisfy his demand for sleekness and elegance; and finally, the ‘stubby, nearly Moorish’

copper dome would be replaced by a tall pointed spire (Stanges, 2005). These changes reflect

Chrysler’s own design language which he used in building his successful automobile company.

All these signifies the involvement of Walter Chrysler’s vision and dedication towards his

building.

Fig 6: The grand lobby ceiling of Chrysler Building which has one of the largest murals (36 m x
26 m) representing the construction process of Chrysler Building by Edward Trumbull.
Trumbull, E. (1930). Transport on Human Endeavour. [Oil on canvas]. Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/architecture-20c/a/van-alen-chrysler-
building

Chrysler wanted his building to be taller than the Eiffel Tower, which was the world’s tallest

structure at that time to marks his name in history as the man who built the building taller than

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Eiffel tower. The crown helped Chrysler Building achieve the title of tallest building in the world

and also crown’s utopian design gave it the uniqueness for which it is recognized all around the

world. Van Alen designed a stunning 186-foot stainless steel spire which was delivered to the

building in five sections and assembled in secret on the 65th floor which raised slowly into position

bought the building height to 1046 feet (Stanges, 2005).

Fig 7: The sui generis crown speaks the story in itself and its imperishable place in New York
City Skyline.
Shutterstock. (2019). Untitled. [Digital image]. Retrieved from
http://thejewishvoice.com/2019/01/16/can-dubai-actually-get-1b-for-sale-of-chrysler-building/

On September 28, 1929, the Chrysler Building became the tallest building in the world exceeding

Eiffel Tower by twenty-two feet (Stanges,2005). Even though its record was short lived for eleven

months before Empire State Building took over, the Chrysler Building has made a special place in

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New York City’s skyline. New buildings are made every day and they all have different designs

from each other, some of which are beautiful while others are catastrophe, but the design of

Chrysler Building will remain as one of the most beautiful designs ever made.

The behemoth on 5th Avenue 34th Street which broke every record in the book when completed

in April 1931, New York’s signature skyscraper: The Empire State Building (Fig 8). Robert H.

Shreve, William F. Lamb and Arthur Loomis Harmon were the architects of the Empire State

Building. Since the construction project was during the stock market crash and followed by the

great depression, there was high pressure from every side ranging from finance, labor to political

to complete the project. As William Lamb explained: The program was short enough- a fixed

budget, no space more than 28 feet from the window to corridor, as many stories of such space

possible, an exterior of limestone, and a completion date of May 1, 1931, which meant a year and

six months from the beginning of the sketches (Willis, 1998) (White).

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Fig 8: Empire State Building is one of the best symbols of human capability.
Valadi, S. (2012). Empire State - NY - Aerial View. [ Digital Image]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132084522@N05/17339180506

The 103 stories high architectural marvel created 2.1 million square feet of rentable space and

surpassed Chrysler Building by 200 feet and at 1252 feet, it became the world’s tallest building

for almost 70 years before North tower of the World Trade Center surpassed it (Willis, 1998). With

more than one floor each day, within twenty months from the first signed contracts with the

architects in September 1929 to opening day ceremonies on May 1, 1931- the Empire State was

designed, engineered, erected, and ready for tenants (Willis, 1998). Creating a building from the

ground up to 100 storeys in less than two year in a city like New York City where there is active

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road with heavy traffic, not more than ten feet away from the building’s facade that too almost 90

years ago seems nearly impossible.

Fig 9: The two architectural Art Deco icons of not just NYC but of the whole world. The Empire
State Building (left) and the Chrysler Building (right).
Author. (2019). The King and the Queen of skyscrapers. [Photo]

Art Deco slowly declined after the 1929 stock market crash and then followed by the great

depression (White). Still the visionaries and radicals of that time did not look back and created the

best designs (Gintoff, 2016). Design Utopia is all about creating the best thing which does not have

any problems and aesthetics is one of the many problems which needs to be solved in order to

make it utopian. Art Deco solved the problem of aesthetics giving the world one of the most

beautiful buildings ever made. Not only all these buildings offer great views from within, but other

buildings are marketed and sold for the views of them. The term of Art Deco was short lived, but

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it coached to many new design styles. Even today the Art Deco triumphs still stands out quite

significantly and are the symbols of firm boundary less vision and dedication.

Fig 10: From one Art Deco triumph to other. View from the Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Center)
of the Empire State Building.
Author. (2019). The Beautiful Chaos. [Photograph]

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“Sleepless city on the Hudson eight million strong, where fortunes are made, and monuments are

built. An island of skyscrapers reaching for the stars. A window cleaner’s dream or nightmare.

The apple in Eve’s eye, New York.”

Charles J. Ziga

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Bibliography:

1. Bowering, H. (Producer). (2010). Genius of Design. United Kingdom: BBC documentary.

2. Collins, J. (2002, September 30th). A 100-Year View Of Landmark Brushing the Sky;
Other Buildings Rise Higher, But Flatiron Still Stands Out. The New York Times.
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brushing-sky-other-buildings-rise-higher-but-flatiron.html?searchResultPosition=35\

3. Einstein, A. (1920). Relativity. The Special and General Theory. New York: Henry Holt
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4. Gintoff, V. (2016). Spotlight Raymond Hood. Retrieved from

5. Giles, J. (2019, September 9). It’s Tough Being a Young Skyscraper in New York. The
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6. Kroll, A. (2011, February 3rd). AD Classics: Flatiron Building / Daniel. Retrieved from
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0719-8884

7. White, R. (n.d.). The Rise of Industrial America, 1877-1900. Retrieved from

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8. Stranges, J. (2014). Mr. Chrysler's Building: Merging Design and Technology in the
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10. Tubach, S. (2018). Art Deco’s Streamlined Designs Envisioned a Glamorous Future.
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11. Uren, A. (2015). Building the Flatiron. The Unpredictable Winds Around NYC’s First
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12. Vlack, D. (1974). Art deco architecture in New York, 1920-1940. Retrieved from
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13. Weber, E. (2005). American Art Deco. Massachusetts: World Publications Group, Inc.

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15. Willis, C. (1998). Building the Empire State. London and New York: W. W. Norton &
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16. Ziga, C. (1993). New York Landmarks. China: DoveTail Books

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Thank You.

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