Van Alen, William
American architect who designed the Chrysler Building, New York City (1930), in a Moderne style, which combined massive forms, inspired by ancient architecture, with Art Deco motifs and streamlined shapes. He used steel and aluminum to celebrate the machine age. The Art Deco upper part incorporates eagle-head and radiator-cap gargoyles, as well as a series of semicircular forms recalling the design of hubcaps. (Burden, 2002)