What metal is used for the crown of the Chrysler Building?

Stainless steel is used for the crown of the Chrysler Building.

More specifically, the crown is clad in Nirosta, a bright, corrosion-resistant stainless steel developed by the German firm Krupp. Its silvery surface was an unusually modern architectural material when the building was completed in 1930, and it helped turn the upper tower into one of New York’s most recognizable skylines.

The crown is not merely a pointed cap. Its terraced, radiating forms are ribbed and riveted, with triangular vaulted windows arranged in a sunburst pattern. The stainless steel covers the crown, spire, and numerous exterior ornaments, connecting the building’s material palette with the Chrysler automobile company’s fascination with polished metal and streamlined forms.

A common mix-up is calling the surface aluminum or chrome. Aluminum appears in parts of the building’s interior decoration, while the crown’s distinctive exterior gleam comes from stainless steel. The material was both decorative and practical: it resisted corrosion while expressing the machine-age ideals of Art Deco.