Flatiron or triangle: architects can transform a site’s weakness into its strength. The triangle as a source of extraordinary creativity. By Elke Hildebrandt
Glass cake slice
The Triangle Building is a signature landmark of downtown Denver (Colorado, USA). The 42-metre-high frontages give the illusion of continuous sheets of glass. This striking three-cornered building is situated at the intersection of three busy streets. Built in 2015, it was acquired for the Union Investment portfolio in 2017.
Triangular landmark
The Flatiron District in New York is named after the Flatiron Building at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street. The 91-metre-high wedge-shaped office building was completed in 1902 and makes optimum use of its triangular site.
Blue illusion
On the Corner is a striking blue building that emerges from its urban surroundings like a colourful illusion. Nobody was initially interested in this triangular plot of land in Youkaichi, on Japan’s main island of Honshū. The unusual design of the new residential block turned the awkwardly shaped site into an attractive location.
World-famous brick building
Hamburg’s Chilehaus has been delighting architecture photographers worldwide since 1924. The distinctive brick building was even included as a landmark in a set of stamps issued in 1988. The modernised building belongs to Union Investment’s portfolio and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
