Chrysler Building Architect

That's Gonna Leave a Mark: The Architectural Legacies of Corporations as IBM ...

My first-ever job interview was with Clinique's package design division, located in the GM building in Manhattan. My ex-girlfriend worked at Sony in the AT&T building. An art director buddy of mine worked across the street from the Chrysler building. Core77's headquarters is located in the Singer building.

There's so many architecturally-notable buildings we refer to by the corporate giants that erected them (even if said giants have long since vacated those buildings), which reminds us that there was a time when large corporations were practically expected to leave their mark on the world not just through their products, but through their architectural legacies.

Network World examines this phenomenon with " IBM at 100: How Big Blue helped redefine corporate architecture ," an article noting IBM's patronage of big-name designers of the past like Saarinen, the Eameses, van der Rohe, Noguchi, and Foster. It's a pretty fascinating read, particularly the anecdote in the second paragraph excerpted below: "There were other corporations that were also focusing on design quality and using buildings to express their corporate culture, but it's fair to say that IBM was a vanguard. It was really the scope and ambition of IBM's efforts that stood out," says Martin Moeller, senior vice president and curator of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

This period in IBM's 100-year history...started with a walk down Fifth Avenue in New York. As the story goes, [then-IBM-President Thomas] Watson Jr. saw the showroom of Italian office equipment maker Olivetti and was impressed by its cohesive approach to industrial design, graphic design and architecture. Watson Jr. wanted the same for IBM. He recruited [architect/industrial designer Eliot] Noyes to develop a corporate design program, and Saarinen was the first architect hired.

mental_floss Blog » The Quick 10: The Chrysler Building

Apparently it's Buildings Appreciation Week here in New York in the 10 fast. Join the Public Library in New York in a birthday this week is the Chrysler Building, who will turn 81 years overlooking the rooftops of Manhattan. It may not be the tallest building in town these days, but it is still one of the most impressive. Read on to find out how long it is the title of tallest building in New York and nine other fascinating facts about the Art Deco masterpiece.

1. Without the freak show-riddled Coney Island amusement park Dreamland (pictured), the Chrysler Building would never have existed. When Dreamland burned to the ground in 1911, owner William Reynolds decided he needed a new, high-profile project to work on. He decided to enter the “Tallest Building in the World” race and commissioned architect William Van Alen to draft something.

2. It’s called the Chrysler Building not after the business, really, but after the man, Walter Chrysler. Though Chrysler used it as the headquarters for his car company for more than 20 years, the company didn’t foot bill for the building – Walter did. He bought the property and the design for (we think) $2 million after Reynolds defaulted on the lease. Chrysler purchased it himself so his sons could inherit it.

3. Chrysler never actually paid William Van Alen . He believed Van Alen was working with building contractors on some shady financial arrangements and refused to be a part of it.

4. The 27-ton spire on top of the building took just 90 minutes to erect.And it was kind of sneaky business. You see, the Empire State Building was boarding the same time, supported by rival Chrysler John Raskob, founder of General Motors. Raskob, in a little competition is not so friendly, wanted to ensure that his building was larger than Chrysler, but Chrysler has kept the height of his building a secret, making it difficult for architects Empire State Building plan. "Raskob was worried that Walter Chrysler would take something - like hiding a rod in the tower and then paste it in place at the last minute," says project manager Hamilton Weber. Well, Raskob sure knew his rival, because that’s exactly what Chrysler did.