Art Deco facts: Paris origins to the Chrysler Building

Art Deco facts begin in Paris, where a modern style took shape in the 1910s and then spread widely during the 1920s and early 1930s. The name came into use after the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, and the style soon stood for luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.

How did Art Deco begin in Paris?

Art Deco first appeared in Paris in the 1910s, just before World War I. It flourished internationally during the 1920s to early 1930s, when its bold look appeared in architecture, interiors, furniture, glass, jewelry, and other decorative arts.

The French government designed the 1925 Paris exposition to highlight that new modern style across Europe and throughout the world. The exhibition ran from April 29 to November 8, 1925, and brought together 15,000 exhibitors from twenty countries.

Why is the 1925 Paris exposition so important?

The 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts drew over sixteen million people during its six-month run. The modern style presented there later became known as Art Deco, taking its name from the exposition itself.

That event gave the style its public stage. It connected modern architecture with interior decoration and with objects made for daily life, from furniture to glass to jewelry.

What did Art Deco stand for at its heyday?

At its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress. Those qualities helped give the style its sharp appeal in cities, buildings, and interiors across the world.

The largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world is in Miami Beach, Florida. That fact places the style not only in the history of Paris, but also in a major American landscape of buildings.

Which building best shows Art Deco skyscraper design?

The Chrysler Building is a 1,046-foot-tall Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in Manhattan. It was designed by William Van Alen in the Art Deco style, and after its completion in 1930 it became the world’s first supertall skyscraper and the world’s tallest building for 11 months.

Its design made extensive use of bright Nirosta stainless steel, and it was the first use of this 18–8 stainless steel in an American project. Inside, the lobby’s ceiling contains a 110-by-67-foot mural titled Transport and Human Endeavor, designed by Edward Trumbull.

The building also had 32 elevators, and at the time of opening 28 of them were for passenger use. Between its height, materials, and ornament, it remains one of the clearest examples of Art Deco architecture in skyscraper form.

Where can you still see Art Deco architecture today?

The largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world is in Miami Beach, Florida. That makes the city a key place to look for the style’s buildings, while the Chrysler Building shows how Art Deco reached the Manhattan skyline.

From Paris in 1925 to New York in 1930, Art Deco moved from exhibition halls to skyscrapers and from decorative arts to city landmarks. Its history ties together architecture, design, and the promise of modernity that defined the style’s early decades.

Test what you learned in the quiz next.