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The 1930s opened with some of the most dramatic applications of art deco to modern skyscrapers. The art deco style originated in Europe and became widely popular in the United States in the 1920s. Characterized by its geometric patterns, surface ornamentation, and rich materials, art deco styling could be found in entrance portals and elevator lobbies, where the display of fancy metalwork, colored marbles, and contrasting wood veneers could be fully seen and appreciated. Architects William Van Alen, along with John and Donald Parkinson, among others, took art deco to new heights — literally. Van Alen's crown for the Chrysler Building in New York (1928-1930) terminated in a needlelike spire that rose from diminishing semicircles, with each circle set with a zigzag of triangular windows. Recognizing that it was the top of the skyscraper that gave it a distinctive identity, Van Alen broke new...
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This section contains 151 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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