Chrysler Building Hid Record-Breaking Spire

During New York's 1929 skyscraper race, the Chrysler Building secretly assembled a 27-ton, 185-foot steel spire inside its unfinished crown. Workers joined its five sections within a seven-story shaft, then hoisted it into place in just 90 minutes on October 23. The surprise raised the tower to 1,046 feet, overtaking the 927-foot 40 Wall Street, then known as the Bank of Manhattan Company Building. Chrysler held the title of the world's tallest building until the Empire State Building surpassed it in 1931.

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