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Setting the scene
Walter P. Chrysler commissioned architect William Van Alen to build a headquarters that would symbolize the automobile age and rival the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building for height in New York's skyscraper race.
What happened
The Chrysler Building opened on May 27, 1930, at 1,046 feet including its stainless-steel spire, briefly the world's tallest structure before the Empire State Building surpassed it eleven months later.
Why it still matters
Art Deco ornament includes eagle gargoyles modeled on 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments and a crown of radiant sunburst triangles. Memorable detail: Van Alen secretly assembled the spire inside the dome and hoisted it through the roof in 90 minutes in 1929 so competitors would not know the final height until too late.
Background
Gargoyles and hubcaps adorned the crown.