Cast Iron Destinations

Cast Iron Destinations
By Daniel Fischermann


Cast Iron has been used throughout the world for more than two millennials. Cast iron in the facades of buildings and building parts can be seen in most Western citites with a neighborhood from around 1900 such as New York, Chicago, Barcelona, London and Glasgow.



Cast Iron Stairs on a Cast Iron Facade in SoHo, New York


Rusty Cast Iron Facade in SoHo



SoHo in New York is home to the world largest collection of cast iron facades. SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The area has been known for being home to many artists' lofts and art galleries. At the same time the area became more expensive, shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain stores moved in.



Cast Iron Facade with Cast Iron Stairs, SoHo, New York



The area's history is an early example of inner-city regeneration from the 1980s and onwards, encompassing socio-economic, cultural, political and architectural developments.



SoHo, New York, 2019



The SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District makes up most of SoHo, was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1973, extended in 2010, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Placesand declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It consists of 26 blocks and approximately 500 buildings, many of them incorporating cast-iron architectural elements. Many side streets in the district are paved with Belgian blocks.


Chicago, historic district - the cradle of many iron-based inventions
Beginning in the early 1880s, architectural pioneers of the Chicago School explored steel-frame construction and, in the 1890s, the use of large areas of plate glass. These were among the first modern skyscrapers. William LeBaron Jenney's Home Insurance Building was completed in 1885 and is considered to be the first to use steel in its structural frame instead of cast iron, but this building was still clad in heavy brick and stone. Cast iron remained to be part of the ornamentation in many buildings in Chicago.



The Sullivan Center—long home to a variety of retail giants—is unique in its use of steel frame and cast iron. The building has undergone many renovations over the years, overseen by important architects, ranging from Louis Sullivan at the beginning to more recently, John Vinci and Gunny Harboe.

The façade was originally going to be bronze, but was later changed to cast iron, primarily to save money. The casting was hand-molded, and Sullivan took all the building materials to a new limit. He stretched the cast-iron—almost like plastic—nearly to the breaking point where they’re almost shearing. You can read a lot more about the building on Chicago Architecture Foundation Tour.



Lucius B. Mantonya Flats (1887), 1325 N Dearborn Pkwy, Gold Coast, Chicago, IL, USA. Cast iron stairs and fence





Many old villas in Chicago have extensive cast iron ornamentation.
Detail of a Cast Iron Ornament from Carson Pirie Scott Building (1899) designed by Louis Sullivan, restored by Harboe Architects.

3. Barcelona -home of Antoni Gaudi
Cast and wrought iron can be found all over the historic part of Barcelona. In lanterns, benches and ornamentation on buildings.




Casa Batllo in Barcelona. From 1877 and 1904-1906. The building that is now Casa Batlló was built in 1877 by Antoni Gaudi, commissioned by Lluís Sala Sánchez. Cast iron details in the windows.

Casa R Sala is one of the most beautiful houses in Barcelona. It's a art nouveau building designed by Domènec Boada i Piera. The building was built by Fransesc Cairó and is also the formal name of the house - the building however is better known as Casa R Sala. The ornamentation is very detailed. All the parts are designed very carefully. The tribune is the most striking thing in the front façade. The façade is full of flowers, a characteristic aspect in art nouveau buildings. The balustrades of the balconies are made of forged iron. The door is different than the one in other houses. It has an Arabic arc form.

Forged iron lanterns in Barcelona. See more lanterns from Barcelona here.

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