Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Ave, New York, New York, USA
Designed for industrial magnate Walter P. Chrysler, the Chrysler Building had a secret plan to become the tallest building in New York by constructing a long spire hidden inside the building, which was deployed overnight in four sections. This claim was short lived, however, as 11 months later, the General Motors-backed Empire State Building was redesigned and took the crown back. This classic Art Deco-style skyscraper was Chrysler’s corporate headquarters from the 1930s to the 1950s. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
UBS helped to refurbish the Chrysler Building’s spire in the 1970s using a freestanding access scaffold based on needle beams at the building’s base.