AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Partners Turned Rivals
- William Van Alen and Craig Severance began as close partners with complementary skills: artist and businessman.
- Their relationship frayed as Van Alen's changing plans ran over budget and deadlines, leading to their split.
Skyscrapers As Money Machines
- Manhattan's skyrocketing land values forced builders to grow vertically and monetize every square foot.
- The 1920s skyscraper race mixed economics with cultural desire for speed, height, and progress.
Two Buildings, Two Visions
- Walter Chrysler hired Van Alen to rework plans for a personal monument: the Chrysler Building.
- Craig Severance simultaneously built the Manhattan Company Building downtown, launching a public height rivalry.