There are few landmarks in New York City that are more iconic than the Flatiron Building. Legend has it that well before the building came into existence, it was the irregular plot of land on which the structure was built that was known as the Flatiron itself – because its triangular shape resembled a cast-iron clothing iron. Many skyscrapers have popped up in NYC and around the world since 1902 when the Flatiron was handed over, but few have the staying power to be considered legendary 122 years later. Here is everything you need to know about the history of the Flatiron Building in Manhattan and its enduring influence.
New York is a city of iconic buildings and, despite the hundreds of notable structures that have been built throughout its history, the Flatiron Building has proven especially memorable. Decades before the Empire State Building arrived and over a century before One World Trade was built, the Flatiron was erected in Manhattan. For those outside of the US, the building is a symbol of New York, making it a tourist destination for thousands, even without an observatory deck like other big-name Big Apple structures. Below, we detail the history, uses, and architectural features of the structure – read on to get better acquainted with the century-old building.
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History of the Flatiron Building
“Owing to the peculiar shape of the ‘Flatiron,’ the erection of a very tall building has always been regarded as something of an architectural problem, and it is said that the structure now projected will probably not be over twelve stories in height,” reads a news item published in the November 27, 1900, issue of The New York Times regarding plans to build an office building on the land, signalling that readers knew the land itself by that title.
Those plans were led by Samuel and Mott Newhouse, who owned the land and eventually sold the lot “for $2 million to an investment partnership formed by Harry S. Black, chief executive of the Fuller Company, a construction firm he had inherited from his father-in-law, George W. Fuller,” according to A History of New York in 27 Buildings. Originally, the building was to be used as an office space for the Fuller Company.
Architect Daniel Burnham and his associate Frederick P. Dinkelberg designed the building using steel-frame construction, a method that the Fuller Company had recently embraced on other projects. Per A History of New York in 27 Buildings, after the site was cleared, the building “rose by about one floor a week” and was completed in 1902. With 22 floors, it exceeded the Times’s estimate of 12 stories, but never held the title of New York’s tallest building. The structure was initially named the Fuller Building, after its developer, but the Flatiron term that preceded the structure itself is what stuck.
What is the Flatiron building used for?
For nearly 120 years, from its completion until 2019, the Flatiron Building was used for offices. Its most prominent tenant was the publishing house Macmillan, a division of which first moved in in 1969, with several other divisions following until eventually the company occupied every floor of the building. “The Flatiron Building does have a special feel,” Thomas McCormack, the president of Macmillan division St Martin’s Press, told The New York Times in 1983. “It’s the only office I know of where you can stand in one place and see the East River, the Hudson and Central Park without moving. I find that our authors are fascinated by this extraordinary building.”
Macmillan moved out in 2019, and the building’s office floors have been empty since then, according to ArchPaper. In October 2023, the building’s owners, a group led by Jeff Gural of GFP Real Estate, announced that they would convert the building into luxury housing, a process that is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. Currently, 60 condos are planned across the building’s 22 stories.
The ground floor will be used for retail tenants, as it is currently. T-Mobile has a store on the base.
Architectural Details of the Flatiron Building
The most distinctive feature of the Flatiron Building is the very thing it’s named for – its unusual triangular shape, resembling a clothes iron. This shape was necessitated by the specific plot of land it was on, where 5th Avenue and Broadway taper toward each other. Among its most notable details is the reinterpretation of classical Greek columns. Like predecessors, the façade is divided into a base, shaft, and capital. The building is clad in glazed terra-cotta and limestone, with plenty of Beaux Arts decorative elements such as oriel windows, cornices, and mouldings that reward a closer look.
Now that the Flatiron is being converted into luxury residential units, the interiors are in a state of flux. As detailed by CoStar News in 2023, many of the floors have been stripped down to make way for the conversion and the existing historic staircase is being taken out and replaced with two staircases. Regardless of the interior finishes, the developers will certainly have to get creative to make the more angular sections of the building suitable for residential use.
How to Visit the Flatiron Building
Unlike other iconic New York City buildings, such as the Empire State Building and One World Trade, the Flatiron Building is not open to the public, save for its retail space. The best way to experience the building as a tourist is from the outside, and an afternoon in Madison Square Park can offer you a pleasant close-up view, free of charge.
