Art Deco New York City

Art Deco is a style of arts originated in France in the early 20th century. The term was first coined by renowned architect Le Corbusier to describe a new style of artistic expression exhibited during the  International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts of 1925. "Art Deco" is derived from"arts décoratifs", which comes from the exposition's French name "L'Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes".  Art Deco style usually blends bold geometrical figures with industrial themed traditional craft motifs. It became a popular architecture style  in the 1930s, especially in the United States where the American society was seeking for a new symbol to boast the idea of luxury and extravagance America deserved as a rising new world power. 

An Art Deco Mural of the Empire State Building inside the Empire State Building, one of the most recognizable Art Deco style skyscraper in the world

Since its establishment as a Dutch trading post, New York City has always been where the heart of the American capitalism and prosperity are. Many buildings built in the late 1920s and early 1930s were built in  Art Deco style, including some very famous ones. In spite of the upcoming depression, Art Deco buildings in New York City had shown the society's confidence in America's prosperous future and were a monument itself manifested to the notion of American Dream: "You can dream big, and you can achieve even bigger".

New York City is home to a large number of Art Deco style architectures. How many can you spot in this picture alone?

Possibly the most famous Art Deco building of all time, the Empire State Building, was in fact built during the Great Depression. By the time of its completion, it was the tallest structure human beings ever constructed. At 1250 feet tall (381 meters high), the Empire State Building held the title for more than 35 years until it was surpassed by a TV tower in the Soviet Union. However what the TV Tower failed to surpass was the Empire State Building's elegance and beautiful decorative designs, which is still unrivaled by many skyscrapers that were built today.

The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building's strip like surface reminded people of the chimneys during the industrial age - the time when efficient production was the key to acquire massive wealth. It is not hard to imagine the strips on the building's surface as many chimneys standing together and producing a tremendous amount of wealth. As the chimneys go up, they begin to join together and eventually hit the spire, which in many ways resemble the black smokes coming out of the chimneys. Yet the top of chimneys are places where human curiosities are drawn to. I remember when I was a kid, my friends and I had always wanted to climb the ladder to the top of an industrial chimney in my neighborhood. I believe the same applies to people in other parts of the world as well. That's why King Kong was put to the top of the "Empire State chimney" to knock down planes, while many others lining up and waiting for hours to get to the top of the Empire State Building. 

The Empire State Building and the Downtown Manhattan Skyline

But the top of the Empire State Building wasn't the only place that drew interesting characters to visit. Spiderman has chosen the top of the Chrysler Building nearby as a frequent visiting spot to stop crimes in New York City. The Chrysler Building, like its name suggested, was the headquarters of the Chrysler Motor Company. It was the first building ever to reach the height of 1000 feet. At 1046 feet tall (319m), it was the tallest building when built, only to be surpassed by the Empire State Building less than a year later.

The Chrysler Building

The Chrysler Building itself is a presentation of steel, one of the most important products during the late industrial age. It is known for the intricate design of its steel crown and is still the highest brick building with steel frame support. However, most steels consumed by the Chrysler Building were not for the building itself, but rather for cars made by the Chrysler Motor company until the mid 1950s. Many of Chrysler models in that period were designed in Art Deco style. It's no doubt that Walter P. Chrysler, the founder of the Chrysler Motor Company who personally financed the construction of the Chrysler Building, must be infatuated with the Art Deco design.

The Chrysler Building from the Empire State Building on a rainy day

Walter P. Chrysler was definitely not the only rich man who ordered a building to be built in Art Deco style. In fact, John D. Rockefeller Jr. commissioned 14 different buildings and whole a lot of other things to be built in Art Deco style. The Rockefeller Center was one of the largest construction projects in the history of New York City.  The complex is home to the NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, and an observation deck called "The Top of the Rock", which are all located in buildings designed in Art Deco style.

Comcast Building at the Rockefeller Center

The statue of Atlas at Rockefeller center is a great example of an Art Deco sculpture. The ancient Greek titan was made of bronze, and the statue depicts a colossal Atlas holding up the globe that represented the sky. It symbolizes the theme "a great beginning", which implied New York City's and America's ambition to rise up as a global superpower. 

The Statue of Atlas

Despite originated from France, Art Deco as a form of design has definitely shaped the identity of New York City. It elaborates the basic principle of what many can common agree on to be the notion of The American Dream: Doesn't matter where you are from, if you are good, you can make it big in America. Its bold way of expressing industrial age wealth and successes tells not only the story of what happened yesterday, but also impresses millions of people visiting New York City today and tomorrow.