The Chrysler Building Essay -- Architecture Structure Building Essays

Today technology allows us to construct structures that we would never have been able to make in the past. Some of the creations are impressive based on what they accomplish but others are masterpieces in themselves. Man’s capability to build such tall buildings, as the skyscrapers we are familiar with covering our cities today, is a major expression of the advancements we have made as a culture. The power necessary to build such tall structures inspired competition between architects to see who could build the tallest one. One skyscraper that has inspired many and served as a model, for high rise buildings that were created after, is the Chrysler Building. The Chrysler Building serves as an identifying mark to anyone that views the New York City skyline. The history surrounding the Chrysler Building is almost as intricate as the artwork and engineering of the building itself. Today it elicits a reaction from anyone who passes by just as it did when it was f irst created. The term skyscrapers has become the term used for tall, multi-storied buildings that have a height of at least 152 meters or 500 feet. The term was originally used to refer to a tall mast on a sailing vessel. Skyscrapers were first introduced in the 19th century. Prior to the 19th century a high rise building was thought of as unrealistic because it was irrational to have people walk up multiple flights of stairs. There was also the problem of providing the top floors with water pressure. Early on they only had the technology to provide water up to 50 feet or 15 meters. These problems were soon rectified by the invention of the elevator and also with the development of a water pumps that were made of steel and reinforced w... ...i-bin/articles/partners/cbs/search.cgi>. 3. Chrysler Building- SkyscraperPage.com. 2004. SkyscraperPage.com. 7 Nov. 2014 . 4. Chrysler Building and 42nd Street: New York History. 7 Nov. 2014 . 5. Chrysler Building, New York City. 2004. 7 Nov. 2014 . 6. Icon of the Modern. 7 Nov. 2014 . 7. Skyscraper. 7 Nov. 2014 . 8. The Chrysler Building. 2003. Daniel's Manhattan Architecture. 7 Nov. 2014 . 9. The Midtown Book- The Chrysler Building. The City Review. 7 Nov. 2014 .