Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building, also known as the Fuller Building, is an iconic skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, built in 1902 at the distinctive intersection of Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and 23rd Street. Thanks to its unique triangular wedge shape, reminiscent of a clothes iron, the 93.6-meter (307-foot) building ranks among the best-known landmarks in New York worldwide. The sharply angled floor plan came about out of the need to make the best possible use of an unusually narrow lot, with the narrow end at the street corner measuring just two meters across. This extreme narrowness required the use of early steel-frame construction, since conventional masonry would have been too thick on the lower floors and would have severely limited the interior space. The facade is clad in terra-cotta and shows influences of Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts architecture, giving the building an elegant character that is unusual for New York. The aerodynamic shape also creates strong air currents in the surrounding streets, which makes the location a dynamic urban experience.

Historically, the building originally served as the headquarters of the Fuller Company, a pioneer of the skyscraper construction industry. The design is by the famous architect Daniel Hudson Burnham. Over the decades, ownership changed several times, including to the Equitable Life Insurance Company and later to various investor groups, before it passed to a new ownership group in 2023 following a complex auction process. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. In popular culture, the Flatiron Building has secured a permanent place and appears in numerous films such as Godzilla and the Spider-Man trilogy, as well as in comics and books.

Today the building is undergoing a comprehensive renovation that is converting it into a modern residential building with 36 condominiums. After years of vacancy and construction work, which included installing new elevators, a modern heating system, and a restored facade with LED lighting, the main work was completed in November 2026. The lower floors offer residents luxurious shared amenities such as an indoor pool, a spa, a lounge, and a fitness center. A bar and a restaurant are planned for the ground floor, combining the building's historic character with contemporary comfort and reinterpreting the Flatiron Building as a living part of New York City's history.