5x5
In light of falling confidence in world markets and near 0% interest on government bonds, New York City real estate has become a financial safe haven. With ground level sites almost entirely occupied, developers have turned their interests skyward.
Under pressure to create new investment opportunities, the City Planning Commission has up-zoned Manhattan and eliminated height restrictions. Their intent was to immediately generate a near endless bank of air rights, effectively printing money for investors. Instead they inadvertently spurred an entirely new building typology: a site-less tower.
These slender forms, tapered to the sky exposure plane, touch terra firma in the most minimal way. Cores and basic structure anchor into micro-sites, alleys, and rear yards. These stilted structures sidestep the ground level boundaries of Manhattan Island, and unlock the full potential of the air above it.
In light of falling confidence in world markets and near 0% interest on government bonds, New York City real estate has become a financial safe haven. With ground level sites almost entirely occupied, developers have turned their interests skyward.
These slender forms, tapered to the sky exposure plane, touch terra firma in the most minimal way. Cores and basic structure anchor into micro-sites, alleys, and rear yards. These stilted structures sidestep the ground level boundaries of Manhattan Island, and unlock the full potential of the air above it.
Once humble slivers of land now burst with newfound value. Micro-parks, alleys, rear yards, and parking spaces have transformed into viable building sites. Although their size once deemed them unfit for traditional tower construction, liberalized height limits have turned these petite plots into anchors for structures that hover above the bustling cityscape. The cores and basic frameworks delicately kiss the ground, serving as slender conduits to the soaring edifices above. These monolithic forms stand sentinel-like, their touch upon the earth minimal yet profound.
Once humble slivers of land now burst with newfound value. Micro-parks, alleys, rear yards, and parking spaces have transformed into viable building sites. Although their size once deemed them unfit for traditional tower construction, liberalized height limits have turned these petite plots into anchors for structures that hover above the bustling cityscape. The cores and basic frameworks delicately kiss the ground, serving as slender conduits to the soaring edifices above. These monolithic forms stand sentinel-like, their touch upon the earth minimal yet profound.
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If this new tower typology was considered as a simple extrusion, natural light to the streets would be entirely obscured. As a result, we must pivot once more, casting our gaze back to the visionary sketches of the early 20th-century architect, Hugh Ferris. Ferris demonstrated how zoning codes can be wielded to physically mold buildings, tilting them backward toward the sky’s exposure planes, and unfurling valleys of illumination down to the bustling streets below. The new sloped tower walls, literal manifestations of the sky exposure plane, enable a city below to exist in light, while a new one grows above it.
If this new tower typology was considered as a simple extrusion, natural light to the streets would be entirely obscured. As a result, we must pivot once more, casting our gaze back to the visionary sketches of the early 20th-century architect, Hugh Ferris. Ferris demonstrated how zoning codes can be wielded to physically mold buildings, tilting them backward toward the sky’s exposure planes, and unfurling valleys of illumination down to the bustling streets below. The new sloped tower walls, literal manifestations of the sky exposure plane, enable a city below to exist in light, while a new one grows above it.
Miriam Peterson
Nathan Rich
Wade Cotton
