Art Deco in New York

Art Deco was a design style during the 1920s-1940s, it was also called the "style moderne". It came after "Art Nouveau" and it was applied in the areas of architecture, interior design, graphic design, fashion, and other visual arts.

Trademarks:

Geometrical patterns and shapes (being inspired by Cubism)
Curving surfaces and sunburst patterns
Motifs of nature and animals: birds, flowers and leaves
Eclectic
Bold decorative colors
Popular materials are glass, stainless steel and inlaid wood
Glass figurines, potteries and sculptures.

In New York City the Art Deco became quickly popular durning the Great Depression because the style involved simplicity and sensibleness. Here are some of the numerous Art Deco architectures we can find in New York City.

Architecture

Paramount Theater

The Paramount Theater was built in 1926 and is located in the Times Square district. It was in the Paramount Theater that Paramount pictures had its premiere.

Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, in Brooklyn, was built in 1927 and is sometimes referred to as "Willie". It was built by the architectural firm Halsey, McCormack and Helmer.

One Fifth Avenue

One Fifth Avenue was completed in 1929, and is an Art Deco building that have taken influence from Gothic design, it's, for example, embellished with gargoyles.

The Majestic

The Majestic building in Central Park, was constructed 1930 to 1931. It was developed by Irwin Chanin, who was an architect and real estate developer.

Chrysler Building

The Art Deco skyscraper, the Chrysler Building, was designed by architect William Van Alen, and completed in 1930. It was the tallest building in the world for 11 months.

The characteristic ornamentations of the building are inspired by the designs that were used for the Chrysler cars. It was one of the first big buildings to use an immodest amount of metal on its exterior.

Empire State Building

Eleven months after the Chrysler Building was completed, in 1931, the Empire State Building came and became the worlds tallest building. The Empire State Building is also an art deco masterpiece, created by architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.