Editing Chrysler Building (section)

=== Completion ===
[[File:Chrysler Building Midtown Manhattan New York City 1932.jpg|thumb|right|The Chrysler Building in 1932]]

In January 1930, it was announced that the Chrysler Corporation would maintain satellite offices in the Chrysler Building during Automobile Show Week.<ref name="NYTimes-Division-Offices-1930">{{Cite news |year=1930 |title=Division Offices Opened In New Chrysler Bldg. |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/01/05/132757162.pdf |access-date=November 4, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The skyscraper was never intended to become the Chrysler Corporation's headquarters, which remained in Detroit.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Langworth |first1=Richard M. |last2=Norbye |first2=Jan P. |date=1985 |title=The Complete History of Chrysler Corporation 1924–1985 |url=https://archive.org/details/completehistoryo0000lang_k6h5/page/46/mode/2up |location=Skokie, Illinois |publisher=Publications International |page=47 |isbn=0-88176-200-8}}</ref> The first leases by outside tenants were announced in April 1930, before the building was officially completed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 22, 1930 |title=Universal Atlas Cement Co. Leases in Chrysler Building |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/04/22/96104542.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811212428/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/04/22/96104542.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1978|p=2}} The building was formally opened on May 27, 1930, in a ceremony that coincided with the 42nd Street Property Owners and Merchants Association's meeting that year. In the lobby of the building, a bronze plaque that read "in recognition of Mr. Chrysler's contribution to civic advancement" was unveiled. Former Governor Smith, former Assemblyman [[Martin G. McCue]], and 42nd Street Association president [[George W. Sweeney]] were among those in attendance.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1978|p=2}}<ref name="NYT-Chrysler-Open-1930">{{cite web |date=May 28, 1930 |title=Chrysler Building, City's Highest, Open |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/05/28/96134315.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811211733/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/05/28/96134315.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2017 |website=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By June, it was reported that 65% of the available space had been leased.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 15, 1930 |title=Chrysler Building Is On Paying Basis |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/06/15/107110925.pdf |access-date=November 4, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By August, the building was declared complete, but the New York City Department of Construction did not mark it as finished until February 1932.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1978|p=2}}

The added height of the spire allowed the Chrysler Building to surpass [[40 Wall Street]] as the tallest building in the world and the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure.{{sfn|Tauranac|2014|p=131}} The Chrysler Building was thus the first man-made structure to be taller than {{convert|1000|ft|m}}{{sfn|Douglas|2004|p=95}} and, by extension, the world's first [[supertall skyscraper]].<ref name="skyscraperCenter" /> As one newspaper noted, the tower was also taller than the [[List of U.S. states by elevation|highest points of five states]].<ref>{{cite news |date=April 4, 1930 |title=First Building To Rise Above 1,000 Feet High |page=9 |work=The Troy Times |url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252018%2FTroy%2520NY%2520Times%2FTroy%2520NY%2520Times%25201930%2FTroy%2520NY%2520Times%25201930%2520-%25201438.pdf |access-date=November 3, 2017 |via=[[Fultonhistory.com]]}}</ref> The tower remained the world's tallest for 11 months after its completion.<ref name="skyscraperCenter" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=The History of Measuring Tall Buildings|website=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|access-date=May 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410072709/http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=April 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Chrysler Building was appraised at $14 million, but was exempt from city taxes per an 1859 law that gave tax exemptions to sites owned by the Cooper Union.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 23, 1929 |title=Chrysler Building Escapes City Taxes |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1929/04/23/95931899.pdf |access-date=November 2, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The city had attempted to repeal the tax exemption, but Cooper Union had opposed that measure.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 11, 1932 |title=Opposes Taxation Of Chrysler Tower |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/06/11/100830264.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126174138/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/06/11/100830264.pdf |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=November 4, 2017 |website=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Because the Chrysler Building retains the tax exemption, it has paid Cooper Union for the use of their land since opening.<ref name="NYTimes-Stravitz-Answers1-2009" /> While the Chrysler Corporation was a tenant, it was not involved in the construction or ownership of the Chrysler Building; rather, the tower was a project of Walter P. Chrysler for his children.<ref name="jayebee.com" />{{sfn|Robins|2017|p=82}} In his autobiography, Chrysler wrote that he wanted to erect the building "so that his sons would have something to be responsible for".<ref name="Chrysler-Autobiography-1950" />{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1978|p=1}}

Van Alen's satisfaction at these accomplishments was likely muted by Walter Chrysler's later refusal to pay the balance of his architectural fee.<ref name="jayebee.com" /> Chrysler alleged that Van Alen had received bribes from suppliers, and Van Alen had not signed any contracts with Walter Chrysler when he took over the project.<ref name="NYTimes-Never-Again-Scaled-2005" /> Van Alen sued and the courts ruled in his favor, requiring Chrysler to pay Van Alen $840,000, or six percent of the total budget of the building.{{sfn|Cobb|2010|pp=117–118}} However, the lawsuit against Chrysler markedly diminished Van Alen's reputation as an architect, which, along with the effects of the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] and negative criticism, ended up ruining his career.{{sfn|Stern|Gilmartin|Mellins|1987|p=610}}<ref name="NYTimes-Never-Again-Scaled-2005" /> Van Alen ended his career as professor of sculpture at the nearby [[Beaux-Arts Institute of Design]] and died in 1954. According to author [[Neal Bascomb]], "The Chrysler Building was his greatest accomplishment, and the one that guaranteed his obscurity."<ref name="NYTimes-Never-Again-Scaled-2005" />

The Chrysler Building's distinction as the world's tallest building was short-lived. John Raskob realized the 1,050-foot Empire State Building would only be {{convert|4|ft|m}} taller than the Chrysler Building,{{sfn|Tauranac|2014|p=131}} and Raskob was afraid that Walter Chrysler might try to "pull a trick like hiding a rod in the spire and then sticking it up at the last minute."{{sfn|Bascomb|2004|p=235}} Another revision brought the Empire State Building's roof to {{convert|1250|ft|m}}, making it the tallest building in the world by far{{sfn|Bascomb|2004|p=247}}{{sfn|Tauranac|2014|p=185}} when it opened on May 1, 1931.{{sfn|Tauranac|2014|pp=227–228}} However, the Chrysler Building is still the world's tallest steel-supported brick building.<ref name="emporis" /> The Chrysler Building fared better commercially than the Empire State Building did: by 1935, the Chrysler had already rented 70 percent of its floor area.<ref>{{cite book |last=Moore |first=L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7JrlCQAAQBAJ |title=Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties |publisher=Atlantic Books |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-78239-868-4 |access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref> By contrast, Empire State had only leased 23 percent of its space{{sfn|Tauranac|2014|p=273}} and was popularly derided as the "Empty State Building".<ref>* {{cite news |title=NYT Travel: Empire State Building |work=The New York Times |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/new-york/new-york-city/attractions.html |url-status=dead |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019094149/http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/new-york/new-york-city/attractions.html |archive-date=October 19, 2010}} * {{cite news |last=Smith |first=Adam |date=August 18, 2008 |title=A Renters' Market in London |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1833243,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=July 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419214305/http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1833243,00.html |archive-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref>