Tech

The world's skinniest skyscraper will be just 47 feet wide

Chris Weller

2015-11-18T19:55:00Z

The past few years in New York City have seen the rise of incredibly skinny towers, including one that's just 60 feet wide.

But now, a new toothpick-thin skyscraper is emerging at 303 E. 44th St., which — at just 47 feet wide — will reportedly be the skinniest skyscraper on Earth.

Architecture firm ODA New York led the design, and it anticipates breaking ground in spring of 2016.

ODA founder and executive director, Eran Chen, says the green-filled apartment building reflects an outdoorsy urban future.

"It's going to be like living in the suburbs without a backyard," Chen said in an interview with The Real Deal.

The new development will set up shop right near the United Nations building, tucked inside an already cramped NYC cityscape.

Traditional buildings maximize how many apartments they can fit into a given space. ODA doesn't want to be traditional, Chen says in a project statement.

"I don't think that we should be forced to choose between enduring in the city, or escaping to suburban areas," he says. "So, with all of our projects we look for ways to amplify natural light and provide access to green spaces, and this is the ultimate example."

The plan includes 360-degree terraces every second floor, each measuring 16 feet high.

This has the benefit of offering relatively spacious living quarters and breezy (and private) green spaces for residents to enjoy when they're feeling cooped up.

The result is an effect where the apartments almost seem to float on nothing at all.

Out of the high-rise's 44 total units, 11 will have access to the 1,400 square feet of garden space.

In designing the slim building, ODA wanted to join the ranks of space-conscious apartment complexes that choose sleekness over sheer size.

"This new typology of super tall, thin buildings heralds both new program and function, and as such, deserves a closer look," ODA said in the statement. "We believe that adaptation demands a new vocabulary of formal expression for these towers."

A little more green could do the skyline good.

Design New York City