Turk's Head Building, Early 20th century skyscraper in Providence, United States
The Turk's Head Building is a 16-story office tower at the corner of Westminster and Weybosset Streets in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Its footprint is wedge-shaped, narrowing to a sharp point on one end, much like the prow of a ship.
Designed in 1913 by the firm Howells & Stokes, the building held the title of Providence's tallest structure for nearly a decade. It was built during a period when the city was growing fast as a regional business center.
A stone carving of an Ottoman warrior on the third floor of the facade gave the building its name and can still be seen from the street today. The figure came from a former shop that once stood nearby, and its presence on the building links the current structure to the commercial life of the old neighborhood.
The exterior and the pointed corner are best seen from across the street, where the full shape of the building becomes clear. The interior is reserved for tenants and their guests, but the entrance area at street level is open to anyone passing by.
The wedge-shaped plan of this building closely resembles that of New York's Flatiron Building, which was also built on a triangular plot. This type of angular form became a practical answer to the irregular street grids found in older American city centers.
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