H. Craig Severance (1879 – 2 September 1941) was an American architect who designed a number of well-known buildings in New York City, including the Coca-Cola Building, Nelson Tower and most prominently, 40 Wall Street.
In his early career, Severance worked for Carrere and Hastings and later, in partnership with William Van Alen. The partnership ended on unfriendly terms, and in the late 1920s, the two found themselves in competition to build the world's tallest building, with Severance's 40 Wall Street and Van Alen's, Chrysler Building. Although the Chrysler Building claimed victory with its spire at 1,046 feet, Severance protested that his building had the highest usable space. The issue became moot when the Empire State Building was completed less than a year later.
Read more about H. Craig Severance: Other Well-known Designs
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