Flatiron Building

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• Flatiron's ornate but restrained facade is composed of stone and terra-cotta panels whose forms simulate the effects of rustication.
• Bearing the influence of architectural trends introduced at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Burnham's eye-catching design combined elements of French and Italian Renaissance architecture.
• The developer built the skyscraper as a speculative project with the intention of renting out offices to various commercial and financial enterprises which was unusual at this time.
• The building's triangular plan was a clever response to the awkward site produced by the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue.
• This steel-framed terra-cotta and stone-clad skyscraper represents the developers' first (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to create a new business center north of Wall Street.
• It replaced a trapezoid-shaped building of around 8-10 stories.
• The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
• One of the city's most famous landmarks, a postcard depicting this building is a must-have in the inventory of nearly all New York City's souvenir shops.
• Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989 for possessing national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America.
• So-called because of its triangular shape, this was one of the earliest buildings to utilise a steel frame from which the exterior walls were hung, a method commonly employed around the world today.
• In the early 20th century, the building's position was blamed for generating unusual wind currents which apparently raised women's skirts and attracted voyeuristic men.