News + Culture Community

Look! Up in the Sky! It’s the Superman Building

The iconic Industrial Trust Building in Providence got its nickname from its similarity to the Daily Planet structure famously portrayed in the Superman comic strip

July 31, 2024

Did you know that Rhode Island has a building right out of a comic book? Welcome to the Industrial Trust Building in Providence, aka the Superman Building. This 26-story building was completed in 1928 and was inhabited by banks until 2013. This beautiful art deco building got its nickname because it looks identical to the Daily Planet headquarters made famous by the Superman comic strip. But that’s not the only cool thing about this super building.

You may recognize the architectural style as it looks very similar to New York City’s most iconic skyscrapers — the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, but the Industrial Trust Building predates both of them by two years!

Get the full story in the reel below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhode Island PBS & The Public’s Radio (@rhodeislandpbs)

Allison Magnus Allison Magnus is the Social Media & Digital Producer for Rhode Island PBS. She runs all of the stations’ social media accounts and YouTube channels, creating graphics, thumbnails, reels, and trending promotional content. Allison graduated from The University of Rhode Island with a dual Film and English degree. She has been writing, directing, editing, and producing all forms of media content from short films to social media videos for almost a decade now. Previously, Allison was a radio host and general manager for WRIU 90.3 FM. In her free time, you can find Allison traveling around the world documenting her explorations.

Recipes

Loaded Potato Soup

Nothing beats a warm bowl of loaded potato soup on a chilly day. This recipe turns simple vegetables into a thick, satisfying soup that’s easy to make and endlessly customizable with your favorite toppings

January 5, 2026

Recipes

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins

These carrot pineapple muffins are a simple twist on a classic favorite. Made with pantry staples and naturally sweetened with fruit and honey, they bake up tender, flavorful, and hard to resist

January 5, 2026

Recipes

Buffalo Chickpea Dip

This warm bean dip proves that comfort food can be simple and nourishing. Creamy, herby, and topped with melted cheese, it’s an easy recipe that turns everyday ingredients into a share-worthy appetizer

January 5, 2026

Politics + Justice

Supporters again eye a push to update Rhode Island’s open records law

Advocates have tried for years to make changes to the Access to Public Records Act, but it was last modernized in 2012

January 5, 2026

·

Climate + Environment

From floods to forecasts: how URI scientists help Rhode Island plan for extreme weather

For more than a decade, researchers at the University of Rhode Island have built real-time mapping and modeling tools that help local officials — and residents — better understand, prepare for, and respond to extreme weather driven by climate change

January 5, 2026

·

News + Culture

Trump says ‘we are going to run the country now’ after removing Venezuela’s president

President Trump said he wasn’t ‘afraid of boots on the ground,’ and defended Saturday’s military strikes that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife

January 3, 2026

·