The skyscraper that lifted the dresses

In New York in 1902, the Flatiron Building created powerful drafts because of its highly unusual triangular shape. The winds sometimes rushed up the dresses of passers-by at the corner of the building. Men even came to observe the phenomenon, forcing the police to intervene regularly.

When the Flatiron Building was completed in 1902 in New York, its triangular silhouette seemed totally strange for the time. The building acts as a sort of giant bow at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. But this shape also produces unexpected aerodynamic effects. The winds accelerate sharply around the narrow angle of the skyscraper. In New York in 1902, the Flatiron Building created powerful drafts because of its shapevery unusual triangular.The long dresses of loops are sometimes lifted by drafts. The phenomenon quickly became famous throughout the city. Groups of men even gather regularly to observe the scene. The New York police must disperse these crowds, which have become too numerous. The expression "23 skidoo" would also be linked to these police interventions around 23rd Street. The winds sometimes rushed up the dresses of passers-by at the corner of thebuilding.The Flatiron thus shows how the first skyscrapers changed not only the visual landscape but also physical and social behaviors in modern streets. Men even came to observe the phenomenon, forcing the police to intervene regularly.