The Chrysler Building, an Art Deco masterpiece that has been a defining image of New York City's skyline for decades, has been put up for sale, a minority owner of the building and a broker hired to market the property said on Wednesday.

The 77-story stainless steel-clad skyscraper, briefly the world's tallest building after it was finished in 1930, is 90 per cent owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, a sovereign wealth fund, with developer Tishman Speyer owning the remainder.

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"It's exciting. I'm getting inquiries from all over the world," said Darcy Stacom, chairman and head of New York City Capital Markets at brokerage CBRE Group.

The 1.26 million square foot (117,000 square metre) building underwent a $US100 million ($140 million) renovation after Tishman acquired the property in 1997. Tishman later reduced its holding. The sovereign wealth fund paid $US800 million when it bought its stake in 2008.