405 Lexington Avenue @ 42 Street
Architect: William Van Alen
Date Constructed: 1930
2nd tallest in NYC, 19th tallest in the world (as of 2004)
Height: 1,046 ft (318 m) including spire; 77 floors.

For a few months in 1930, before the Empire State Building was completed, this was the tallest building in the world (it is now the second tallest building in New York City). The Chrysler Building was one of the first skyscrapers to be faced with stainless steel and the combination of height, stunning design, and polished steel make this one of the most recognizable pieces of the New York skyline. Both the lobby and the façade of the building were designated as landmarks in 1981.

Although William Reynolds, a developer from Coney Island, originally planned the building, it came to fruition under Walter Chrysler, the tycoon of the Chrysler automobile company. He was responsible for the Art Deco details that set this building apart, the stainless steel gargoyles reminiscent of hood ornaments, and the tube lighting that illuminates the vertex at night. The vertex section was designed in secret, so that the Chrysler building could surpass 40 Wall Street in height and thus achieve, however briefly, the title of the world’s tallest building.

The pinnacle of the building, with its unique triangle–shaped windows, was originally a visitor’s center and a dining lounge called the Cloud Club.