artwork provided by Steven Wasterval
Although New York City has a number of iconic office buildings, my favorite happens to be the Flatiron Building. Consisting of 22 floors and a surface area of 183,449 square feet, at the time of its completion in 1902, The Flatiron Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world.
At the turn of the 20th century, George Fuller’s construction company commissioned Daniel Burnham to design an office building north of Wall Street that would help create a new business center. Burnham was famous for his work leading up to the World Colombian Exposition in Chicago (1893) and he wanted to design a building that resembled a tall column rather than a large skyscraper.
The skyscraper was built at the intersection between Fifth Avenue and Broadway and, from the outset, its resulting triangular shape led to it being nicknamed the “Flatiron Building” instead of its intended name, “The Fuller Building.” The Flatiron’s unusual location makes it one of the most recognizable features on the city’s skyline.
The Flatiron building was the first independent skyscraper equipped with its own fire extinguishing system and with its own power generating station for the production of electricity. The residual steam was used for heating and to drive the original elevator mechanism.
The building is currently 99% occupied and owned by Sorgente Group S.p.A.
