Though Los Angeles, like Miami and New York, has plenty of Art Deco buildings that will impress architecture-loving tourists, the Eastern Columbia Building deserves a place on this list because it carries so many characteristics of the style. It is now an iconic Art Deco landmark for its vintage design aesthetic and, of course, shockingly turquoise exterior. The Eastern Columbia Building, or the Eastern Columbia Lofts, was originally designed as the Eastern-Columbia Department Store in 1930. All of these design elements prove that though the crown is what makes the Chrysler building famous, there are plenty of incredible Art Deco motifs to be found throughout this historic New York landmark.Įastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles, California (Photo: Stock Photos from Philip Bird LRPS CPAGB/Shutterstock) The lobby, elevators, windows, light fixtures, and entrances are all designed with modern materials and with Art Deco geometries depicted in silver and gold. The interior is also full of Art Deco influences. and Chrysler radiator caps to honor the car company owned by Walter Chrysler who commissioned the project. These metal statues include eagles to symbolize the U.S. Modernized “gargoyles” protect the building at important corners. Ernest Edgar Thum, who wrote about stainless steels described the importance and design impact of this material decision in saying, “the use of permanently bright metal was of greatest aid in the carrying of rising lines and the diminishing circular forms in the roof treatment, so as to accentuate the gradual upward swing until it literally dissolves into the sky….”Īside from the iconic crown and spire, there are plenty of other design ideas taken from Art Deco architecture. This is why the iconic crown of the building is designed using Nirosta steel in the sunburst pattern popular in Art Deco. One of these was the use of futuristic materials. In the Chrysler building, architect William Van Alen adorned each collection of building floors, as vertically separated by the zoning resolution, with new symbolism often following Art Deco ideas. The uniform setbacks as the towers rose higher in the sky created a similar layering found in Art Deco patterns. The design style became popular in the city, in part, because of the 1916 Zoning Resolution that restricted building heights and called for setbacks for skyscrapers. The Chrysler Building is probably the best-known example of the many Art Deco skyscrapers in New York City. (Photo: Stock Photos from Allan Morrison/Shutterstock) Chrysler Building in New York City, New York, U.S.
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