Flatiron Building
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Flatiron Building (2004) |
The
Fuller Building or as it is better known, the
Flatiron Building, is located in the
borough of
Manhattan, and was one of the tallest buildings in
New York City upon its completion in 1902. The building was designed by Chicago's
Daniel Burnham with
John Wellborn Root in the
Beaux-Arts style on a triangular island block at
23rd Street,
Fifth Avenue, and
Broadway, facing
Madison Square.
Like a classical
Greek column, its limestone and
glazed terra-cotta façade is separated into three parts horizontally. Due to being one of the first buildings to use a steel skeleton, the building could be constructed to 285 feet which would have been very difficult with other construction methods of that time.
The initial design by Daniel Burnham shows a similar design to the one constructed however with a far more elaborate crown with numerous set backs near the pinnacle. A clock face can also be seen. However, under the advice of John Wellborn Root, this was removed from the design.
When completed, it was officially named the Fuller Building after the building's promoter
George Fuller. Locals took an immediate interest in the building, placing bets on how far the debris would spread when the wind knocked it down and nicknaming it "the Flatiron" because of the building's resemblance to the
irons of the day. At the rounded tip, the triangular tower is only 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide. The 22-story Flatiron Building, with a height of 285 ft (87 meters), is often considered the oldest surviving
skyscraper in
Manhattan, though in fact the
Park Row Building (1899) is both older and taller.
Today the Flatiron is a popular spot for tourist photographs, a
National Historic Landmark, and a functioning office building, currently home to several book publishers, most of them under the umbrella of
Holtzbrinck Publishers.
Due to renovations, the signature edge of the Flatiron Building was covered in black
scaffolding from December 2005 to March 2006. Sidewalk-level scaffolding remains.
The surrounding area of Manhattan is named the
Flatiron District for its signature building.
|
A late 19th century drawing |
* In motion pictures:
**
Bell Book and Candle**
Godzilla - destroyed by the military
**
Armageddon**
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York**
Spider-Man and
Spider-Man 2 - as the newspaper office of the
Daily Bugle.
**
Shark Tale - as the underwater
Times Square/Tuna Square
**
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow**
Hitch**
Usual Suspects* Prominent meeting point for the main character in the
Jack Finney novel
From Time to Time.
* Featured in the video game
The Godfather: The Game.
* Headquarters of the fictional firm
Damage Control in the
Marvel Comics publication of that name.
* Mentioned in
Lost as one of Michael's inspirations for construction
"I found myself agape, admiring a skyscraper — the prow of the Flatiron Building, to be particular, ploughing up through the traffic of Broadway and Fifth Avenue in the late-afternoon light." --
H.G. Wells,
1906Skyscrapers, Antonino Terranova, White Star Publishers, 2003 (ISBN-8880952307)
*
Gallery of photographs*
Another way of seeing the Flatiron Building*
New York Architecture Images- Flatiron Building*
Air visit of 'Flatiron and its district' in Photographs*
Flatiron Building - Great Buildings Online
