Favorites Above Eye Level

In 1930, the New York City skyline changed dramatically when the finishing touches were put on a new building at 405 Lexington Ave. Its massive 180-foot needle top – a secret during development – instantly made it the tallest building in the world, surpassing the Eiffel Tower.The Chrysler Building was a resounding popular success, and – according to a recent survey released today by the Skyscraper Museum – it is still the favorite skyscraper among a group of architects, engineers, and other industry professionals. The survey accompanies the exhibition “Favorites!” which opens today at the Battery Park City museum.According to the museum’s founder, director, and curator, Carol Willis, the purpose of the “Favorites!” exhibit was to do a popular show that “dealt with skyscrapers beyond economic, finance, and design issues.”She and her staff tracked down 100 industry experts – including architects David Childs, I.M. Pei, and Richard Meier – and asked them to pick their top 10 favorite New York City skyscrapers. Ms. Willis narrowed the playing field by proposing 25 candidate skyscrapers from which to choose, although Donald Trump ignored the list and provided his own write-ins: Trump Tower, Trump World Tower, and Trump Building.Mr. Trump’s buildings, however, didn’t crack the top 10. The Chrysler Building, which Ms. Willis called the “sentimental favorite,” won by a landslide, with 91 respondents placing it in their top 10 and 18 choosing it as their all-time favorite. The “utterly rational” Seagram Building took second place, and the Flatiron Building and the Woolworth Building tied for third with 73 votes each.There were some surprises. Ms. Willis’s own favorite, the Empire State Building, came in fifth, followed by the Lever House and the RCA Building at 30 Rockefeller Center.Ms. Willis said that the inclusion of the McGraw-Hill Building (no. 8), which was designed by the “most ingenious architect” Raymond Hood, was an interesting choice, along with the “two modern buildings”: the CBS Building/Black Rock (no. 9), built in 1965, and the wide-bodied U.N. Secretariat (no. 10), which Ms. Willis said “people don’t really think of … as a skyscraper.”Along with the survey results, the museum’s exhibition features models, photographs, and blueprints. New Yorkers can also vote for their own favorite skyscraper at the museum’s Web site. Results will be updated daily.While the skyscraper as a national fixture has undergone a significant shift since the World Trade Center attacks, Ms. Willis said the buildings continue to strike a chord because they are an “image of energy of the city.” In other words, our skyscrapers announce, “It’s New York. This is going to be exciting.”Today through Sunday, December 4, Wednesday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m., Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place, Battery Park City, 212-968-1961, $5 general, $2.50 seniors and students. For more information, go to www.skyscraper.org.

Favorites Above Eye Level

Favorites Above Eye Level

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