Before the construction of the Empire State Building, New York City’s Flatiron building served as the Big Apple’s prime architectural icon.
Tall, slender, and shaped like a triangle, the Flatiron building was completed in 1902. Originally named the Fuller Building after developer George A. Fuller, the structure’s distinct shape quickly led to its more unique title.
The Flatiron building houses a number of interesting quirks. For example, instead of having male and female bathrooms on every floor, Women’s Rooms are located on odd floors while Men’s Rooms are located on even ones.
Thanks to the building’s design, it often caused strong drafts that lifted the skirts of unsuspecting passers-by. Because of this, the building became a popular meeting spot for young men hoping to see something provocative.
The building was quickly adopted by popular culture. For example, in his book ‘The Future in America: A Search After Realities’, ‘War of the Worlds’ author H.G. Wells described the building with glowing admiration. In more recent works, the building is home to the Daily Bugle, a fictional newspaper in the ‘Spider-Man’ series.
