Chrysler Building (center, with pointed spire), 1932

Art Deco architecture in New York City flourished during the 1920s and 1930s, and is found in governmental, residential, and commercial buildings, from towering skyscrapers to modest middle-class housing and municipal buildings, across all five boroughs. The style broke with traditional architectural conventions and was characterized by verticality, ornamentation, and new building materials. It was influenced by worldwide decorative arts trends, the rise of mechanization, and New York City's 1916 Zoning Resolution, which favored the setback feature in many buildings. The Great Depression and changing tastes pushed the style to more subdued applications as it spread in the 1930s, before falling out of fashion after World War II. Among New York's most recognizable skyscrapers are the Chrysler Building (pictured) and the Empire State Building, both Art Deco skyscrapers. Many of these buildings are protected by historic preservation laws, while others have been lost to new development or neglect. (Full article...)