6. The Chrysler Building used to host an auto showroom
The original purpose of the Chrysler Building was to act as a headquarters for Chrysler. Though this never materialized, an automobile showroom was located in the lobby of the building. This is the most direct reference to the company that built the skyscraper.
The New York Times reported in 1997 that the showroom actually once occupied the first two floors of the lobby. The lobby, with Moroccan marble walls, yellow marble floors, chrome steel ornamentation, and murals, was an architectural tribute to the primacy of the automobile at the time.
