New York's Flatiron Building enters the residential era: 38 homes instead of offices
Gabi Ralea | Casa Lux
The Flatiron Building—an iconic New York landmark—is undergoing a historic transformation. The exterior has been meticulously restored, and the interiors transformed to include 38 luxury private residences. The first high-end furnished residences have already gone on sale, with prices starting at $10 million each.
Originally designed by Daniel Burnham and completed in 1902 as the Fuller Building, the Flatiron became famous for its unique triangular shape, impressive Beaux-Arts facade, and revolutionary construction, being one of the first steel-framed skyscrapers in the world.
Located between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, it has become one of the city's symbols, constantly present in films, TV series and popular culture. From Friends and Spiderman to Godzilla , the building's easily recognizable shape has solidified its status as a cultural landmark, even being included in a number of LEGO sets.
Over its 120-year existence, the Flatiron Building has hosted a colorful mix of commercial tenants—basement restaurants, clothing and toy companies, and magazine and publishing headquarters. Long used exclusively for offices and retail purposes, it is now providing residential space for the first time, as part of a real estate development by The Brodsky Organization in conjunction with The Sorgente Group .
RESTORATION – A COMPLICATED PROCESS
The extensive exterior restoration of the 24-story, 300-foot-tall building was a difficult process, coordinated by a team of experts in collaboration with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The building’s Beaux-Arts exterior was originally designed to resemble a classical Greek column in limestone, brick, and terracotta, with classically inspired decorative ornamentation, and the restoration took this into account. The work included replacing all of the building’s windows—over a thousand in total—as well as restoring thousands of unique terracotta pieces, recast by a specialist manufacturer in California and reinstalled by hand. The building’s nearly six-foot-tall cornice at the top was also completely restored.
For the interiors, the team co-opted a famous team – designer William Sofield and his team at Studio Sofield, to reimagine the interior adapted to the contemporary lifestyle, but correlated with the energy and vision of the exterior architecture.
The interiors uphold the building's architectural heritage, while incorporating contemporary elements inspired by discoveries during the restoration – historic railings, original ironwork and marble mosaics.
THE FIRST APARTMENTS ARE PUT UP FOR SALE
Although work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026, several types of luxury residences are already for sale within the Flatiron Building, each with a different design and overlooking the New York City skyline.
11 South Home – priced at $16 million – is approximately 350 square meters and spans two corners of the building, offering views to the south, east and west. Access is direct from the elevator, through a private hallway, from where the space opens to the master bedroom, then to the three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.
The residence features high ceilings, oversized, soundproof windows, ultra-premium lighting with adjustable temperature and brightness. In the kitchen, Poliform furniture – also used in the walk-in closets – and Gaggenau appliances confirm the high-end level of the design.
6 North Home is more spacious, with nearly 4,440 square feet and four bedrooms and four bathrooms plus a powder room, priced at nearly $19 million. The interior design is anchored around a 1,200-square-foot living room with views of Madison Square Park, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway.
This one too has a private entrance directly from the elevator and all the amenities and finishes already mentioned – Poliform metal furniture in an open kitchen and Gaggenau appliances, huge windows, intelligently controlled lighting and temperature. The bathrooms are spacious and finished with materials such as marble, with metallic accents and pieces designed by designers especially for this location.
A third type of apartment – available for almost $11 million – is 6 South , with an area of about 285 square meters, which has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It occupies half a floor and has an orientation to three cardinal points – east, south and west, being finished to the same high-end level as the others.
RESORT-STYLE FACILITIES IN THE FORMER OFFICE BUILDING
Spaces that once housed commercial activities are now becoming socializing or relaxation areas for residents.
The building will feature a wellness center, fitness room and areas for private training, strength and cardio training, a sports simulator and lounge, an 18-meter swimming pool and a sauna with facilities for various types of treatments. On the mezzanine, overlooking Madison Square and Fifth Avenue, there is a billiards room and a piano lounge.
The transformation of the Flatiron Building marks not only a functional shift, but also a paradigm shift in the way New York reinterprets its historic landmarks. From a symbol of the early office era to a luxury residential complex, the building retains its iconic aura, but translates it into a contemporary domestic language, adapted to today's New York in every way.
