Big City Wannabe
Asheville, North Carolina
2010
This building takes both the shape and the name of the much more famous Flatiron Building in New York City. The big city envy is even more obvious when you realize that the building sits on Wall Street in Asheville. I’ll add my own envy to the situation by admitting I wish my Asheville Flatiron photo was as good as Edward Steichen’s rendering of the New York City namesake. Below is a poor reproduction of Steichen’s image (all that seems to be available on the web); I have a photogravure print of it taken from the original negative and it is stunning.
The Flatiron (Evening)
Edward Steichen
1906
And don’t forget Steiglitz’s version of the Flatiron too! My personal fav since it’s in the snow!
Yes, and Steiglitz’s version is better than mine too I’m afraid.
In Vancouver BC there is also a Flatiron building that was designed after the original in New York. Flatiron Vancouver looks very similar buy is a new development with all the features of a new concrete condo development.
I guess I’m going to have to go to Vancouver now. I can see a whole portfolio of Flatiron buildings developing. I’ve seen a number of similarly shaped buildings before, even if not named the same. In fact there’s one not far from here in Wichita, KS (where I happen to be right now). It was built not to meet some architects capricious design plans but to fit on a narrow pie-shaped lot between a street and a sharply angled railroad track. I assume most flatiron buildings also were designed to meet similar lot constraints.
This link may be a bit better:
http://www.photogravure.com/collection/searchResults.php?page=1&artist=Steichen,%20Edward&view=medium&file=Steichen_Early%20Years_08
Much better, thanks.