General Electric Building, New York

The first building I posted on this blog was the Chrysler Building because it is such an icon of the Art Deco skyscraper.

However, that first picture of the Chrysler Building had another fantastic Art Deco building in the foreground. The former RCA Victor Building, now known as the General Electric Building.

That is the amazing crown at the top of this page. It has flames, lightning bolts (or radio waves) and stylised faces and is truly amazing.

There is also plenty to see from street level. The lightning bolt/radio wave motif is presented on the 1st floor, placed in their own niches between the vertical banks of windows.

The panels below the windows feature zig-zag decoration and other art deco elements but in the top corners there is more fluid decoration giving an almost Art Nouveau feel.

The corner of the building has its own combination of bolt/wave motif and stylised face. This view also shows the decoration in the brickwork.

Also on the corner at street level is a clock bearing the GE logo and a pair of disembodied arms holding, perhaps, another variation of the lightning bolt/radio wave.

The General Electric Building was designed by John W Cross and dates from 1931.