William Van Alen (August 10, 1883 – May 24, 1954) was an American architect best known for designing the Chrysler Building, but his earlier work left a lasting mark on the Flatiron District. Around 1915, more than a decade before the Chrysler commission, Van Alen designed the office building at 1107 Broadway that stands today, beautifully converted, as the luxury condominium 10 Madison Square West.
Born in Brooklyn and trained at Pratt Institute, Van Alen won the prestigious Paris Prize in 1908 and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts before returning to New York. His brick-and-limestone tower at 1107 Broadway, overlooking Madison Square Park, was one of the commissions that built his reputation in the years before his Art Deco masterpiece crowned Lexington Avenue.
| Full name | William Van Alen |
| Born / Died | August 10, 1883 / May 24, 1954 |
| Profession | Architect |
| Active in Flatiron | c. 1910s (10 Madison Square West, 1107 Broadway) |
| Known for | The Chrysler Building, the Albemarle Building (now 10 Madison Square West), Art Deco skyscraper design |
| Key Flatiron location | 1107 Broadway (10 Madison Square West), at the corner of West 24th Street |
| Notable legacy | Designed an early Flatiron-era office tower a decade before defining the New York skyline with the Chrysler Building |
Who Was William?
William Van Alen was one of the most inventive American architects of the early twentieth century, a designer whose name became permanently linked to the Art Deco age. He was born in Brooklyn in 1883 and trained at the Pratt Institute while apprenticing in local architectural offices, including a stint working for the row-house developer Clarence True.
In 1908 he won the Paris Prize in Architecture, which sent him to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He returned to New York steeped in classical training but increasingly drawn to bold, modern forms. For roughly a decade he practiced in partnership with H. Craig Severance, designing distinctive commercial buildings around Manhattan before the two parted ways in 1924 amid mounting personal friction.
It was a commission from the automobile magnate Walter Chrysler in 1928 that produced his defining work. Completed in 1930, the Chrysler Building — with its gleaming stainless-steel crown and radiator-cap gargoyles — briefly held the title of the world’s tallest building and remains one of the most beloved skyscrapers ever built. Yet Van Alen struggled to win major commissions afterward, and he spent his later years teaching and experimenting with sculpture and prefabricated design.
William Van Alen's Connection to the Flatiron District
A decade before the Chrysler Building, Van Alen was already working in the blocks around Madison Square Park. Around 1915 he designed the office building at 1107 Broadway, on the northwest corner of West 24th Street, directly across from the park. The brick-and-limestone structure became a fixture of the district’s commercial heyday, later joining a neighboring building to form part of the International Toy Center, the longtime hub of the American toy trade.
Today that building has been meticulously preserved and transformed into 10 Madison Square West, a luxury condominium that retains Van Alen’s original façade while adding a crowning tower. For visitors and residents of the Flatiron District, it is a chance to stand in front of genuine Van Alen architecture without traveling to Midtown — an early chapter in the career of the man who would soon reshape the New York skyline.
Legacy and Impact
Van Alen’s reputation rests overwhelmingly on the Chrysler Building, but his Flatiron-era work shows an architect already capable of giving a commercial building presence and dignity. The survival and careful conversion of 1107 Broadway into 10 Madison Square West means his early design continues to shape the experience of Madison Square Park more than a century later.
His broader influence on Art Deco architecture is immense. The Chrysler Building established a vocabulary of setbacks, metallic ornament, and theatrical crowns that defined an era of American skyscrapers. That Van Alen’s lesser-known earlier building still stands in the Flatiron District gives the neighborhood a direct, tangible connection to one of the giants of twentieth-century design.
Before he gave New York the Chrysler Building, William Van Alen gave the Flatiron District a tower on Madison Square Park that still stands today.
Key Facts Worth Knowing
- 1883: William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- 1908: Van Alen won the Paris Prize in Architecture, funding study at the École des Beaux-Arts.
- c. 1915: He designed the office building at 1107 Broadway, now 10 Madison Square West.
- 1924: His partnership with H. Craig Severance dissolved after roughly a decade.
- 1930: The Chrysler Building, his masterpiece, was completed and briefly stood as the world's tallest building.
FIND THEIR LEGACY TODAY
- 1107 Broadway (10 Madison Square West) — Van Alen's original brick-and-limestone office building, now a preserved luxury condominium on the northwest corner of West 24th Street, facing Madison Square Park.
- Madison Square Park, 24th Street side — the best vantage point to view the restored Van Alen façade and its crowning tower.
- The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue — Van Alen's defining Midtown masterpiece, a short subway ride uptown for anyone tracing his career.
Explore More of Flatiron's History
→ 10 Madison Square West — Our full review of the Van Alen–designed building at 1107 Broadway, now a luxury condominium on Madison Square Park.
→ Flatiron District Architecture Guide — Discover the architectural legacy of the neighborhood where Van Alen designed one of his earliest commercial towers.
→ Madison Square Park NYC: What to See, Eat & Do — The park Van Alen's building overlooks — a guide to everything worth seeing and doing around Madison Square.
→ Flatiron District Walking Tour — Walk past Van Alen's preserved facade at 1107 Broadway and the landmarks that defined his era.
In Plain English
William Van Alen was an American architect famous for designing the Chrysler Building. Around 1915, more than a decade earlier, he designed the office building at 1107 Broadway in Manhattan's Flatiron District, which still stands today as the luxury condominium 10 Madison Square West, overlooking Madison Square Park.
Frequently Asked Questions About William Van Alen
Q: What did William Van Alen design in the Flatiron District?
A: Around 1915 Van Alen designed the office building at 1107 Broadway, on the corner of West 24th Street and Broadway. It survives today, restored and converted, as the luxury condominium 10 Madison Square West overlooking Madison Square Park.
Q: Is William Van Alen the architect of the Chrysler Building?
A: Yes. Van Alen designed the Chrysler Building for Walter Chrysler, completed in 1930. It is considered one of the finest Art Deco skyscrapers in the world and briefly held the title of the world's tallest building.
Q: Can you visit a Van Alen building in the Flatiron District?
A: Yes. The exterior of 10 Madison Square West at 1107 Broadway preserves Van Alen's original brick-and-limestone façade and is freely visible from Madison Square Park and the surrounding sidewalks.
Q: When was William Van Alen born and when did he die?
A: William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn on August 10, 1883, and died in New York City on May 24, 1954.
Q: What style was William Van Alen known for?
A: Van Alen is most associated with Art Deco, the style of his Chrysler Building. His earlier Flatiron-era work, including 1107 Broadway, reflected the more restrained commercial architecture of the 1910s.