In 1929, William Van Alen designed a building for Chrysler.
He wanted it to be the tallest and most beautiful building in the world.
But several dozen blocks away The Bank of Manhattan wanted to put up a building too.
And they wanted theirs to be the tallest in the world.
The architect on The Bank of Manhattan building was Craig Severance.
He had been in a partnership with William Van Alen, but now they were bitter rivals.
Severance originally intended his building to be 840 feet tall.
An unheard of 67 stories.
Then he found out that Van Alen was going to make the Chrysler Building 925 feet tall.
Which would make it bigger than his.
So Severance quickly added four more stories to his building, making it an incredible 71 stories.
But more importantly it would be 927 feet tall.
Two feet more than The Chrysler Building.
As each side built at a furious pace, they watched each other with binoculars.
From downtown Manhattan to midtown Manhattan.
Each side wanting to be the first and the tallest.
Finally, in April, The Bank of Manhattan was finished.
And it was the tallest building in the entire world.
For a month.
Because, as they stood on their building, toasting their success, they looked across at the Chrysler Building.
Something strange was happening.
The top of the Chrysler Building gradually opened up and a needle-like spire began to appear.
Inch by inch it grew upwards.
Getting wider and wider as it went.
Higher and higher until it was over a hundred feet tall.
And it was finally bolted in place on top of The Chrysler Building.
Making The Chrysler Building 1,048 feet tall.
A hundred and twenty feet taller than The Bank of Manhattan building.
It came as complete shock to everyone.
The architect, William Van Alen, had the spire built in secret in Germany.
Then he had it shipped in four separate parts to Manhattan.
Then he secretly assembled it inside the lift shaft of the Chrysler Building.
Which meant he could gradually hoist it the entire height inside the building.
Without anyone seeing it.
He didn’t want his opposition to know anything about it until it was too late.
He wanted them to carry on thinking they were building the world’s tallest building.
Then, once they’d finished the job.
Once they’d let all the workmen go.
Once they were celebrating with champagne.
Once it was too late to do anything about it.
Then he erected the gleaming pinnacle into place in front of them.
Machiavelli knew all about predatory thinking.
In 1513 he wrote “No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.”
The Chrysler would still appear smaller aside from some great big stupid spike on top. Still that’s blokes for you. Always going on about the size of their spike.
john p woods - 24 October 2012 9:07 am
Who cares how tall it is, The Chysler building looks better. In my subjective opinion.
Andy Brittain - 24 October 2012 9:24 am
You won’t get an argument from me Andy.
Dave Trott - 24 October 2012 9:41 am
Art Deco can be very seductive. Guess there’s no shouts for the Seagram then?
john p woods - 24 October 2012 9:51 am
George Lois loves it, John.
Dave Trott - 24 October 2012 10:20 am
That’ll do for me, Dave.
john p woods - 24 October 2012 11:37 am
Chrysler for me all day long
The Cabbie - 25 October 2012 9:06 am
Yeah, I don’t get the Seagram building, but some people love it.
I guess it’s all about context.
Part of what makes the Chrysler building great is there’s nothing else like it.
If it was surrounded by similar buildings I bet it would begin to look cheap and tatty.
I think the Seagram building was a reaction against over-ornamentation and the Chrysler is a celebration of it.
Dave Trott - 25 October 2012 10:22 am
The Graybar Building is diagonally across the street from the Chrysler building. It abuts the Grand Central Terminal. It was for a time the largest office building (not the tallest) in the world.
Originally it housed a lot of shipping companies. Accordingly, it had this detail in its canopy. Reminiscent of the rat lines on ships.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/575303349/
Just interesting, I think, NY trivia.
george tannenbaum - 25 October 2012 11:50 am
I think the Seagram was a reaction to all that ornate gubbings. A building laid bare. No ornamentation or rather the very essence of the building’s structure is in itself the ornamentation. Imho it was an early case of wysiwyg and whether you like it or not it deserves to be applauded for it’s sheer brazen audacity.
john p woods - 25 October 2012 1:43 pm
George,
I remember that, it was the side entrance to Grand Central.
Brilliant.
Dave Trott - 25 October 2012 3:12 pm
When it comes to shouting up Seagram, it seems me and George went out on a ledge.
john p woods - 25 October 2012 7:26 pm
…George Lois not Tannenbaum that is.
john p woods - 25 October 2012 7:27 pm
John, I’m a much nicer guy. Though I curse more.
George Tannenbaum - 26 October 2012 12:39 pm
George,
You fucking curse more than George fucking Lois.
I don’t fucking believe it.
Dave Trott - 26 October 2012 6:58 pm
In a flood of architecture I’d go for the one with the unfolding umbrella.
Kev - 30 October 2012 8:47 pm