Recent advancements in structural design, combined with the loosening of density and zoning requirements, has opened the door for the so-called "superslim skyscraper."
From New York to Melbourne to Vancouver, developers are planning high-rise structures on postage-stamp-sized parcels (OK, not that small, but we're talking lots as narrow as 22 feet) in dense urban locations.
Developers love the building type because they can finally take advantage of land that was previously unusable for large multifamily and mixed-use structures.
Some projects, like the Beach & Howe Tower in Vancouver (see No. 2 below), utilize a narrow form to accommodate multiple structures on a given site.
To be considered "superthin" or "slender," a tower must have a height-to-width ratio of at least 10:1. A typical skyscraper, such as the Willis Tower, falls in the 7:1 range. The new crop of skinny towers blows those ratios out of the water. For example, the 111 West 57th Street project in New York City has a height-to-width ratio of 22.5:1.
Here's a quick look at some prominent skinny skyscraper projects in the works:
1. 111 West 57th Street, New York
Building Type: multifamily (100 units)
Height: 1,350 feet, 77 fours
Width: 60 feet
Building Team
Developer: JDS Development
Architect: SHoP Architects
Structural engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk
More on 111 West 57th Street via CTBUH's Skyscraper Center
2. Beach & Howe Tower, Vancouver
Building Type: multifamily (407 units)
Height: 493 feet, 49 floors
Width: NA
Building Team
Developer: Westbank Corp.
Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), James KM Cheng Architects
Structural engineer: Glotman Simpson Group
MEP engineer: Cobalt Engineering
More on the Beach & Howe Tower via CTBUH's Skyscraper Center
3. Phoenix Apartments, Melbourne, Australia
Building Type: multifamily (28 units)
Height: 290 feet, 29 floors
Width: 21 feet, 11 inches
Building Team
Developer: Equiset
Architect: Fender Katsalidis Architects
More on the Phoenix Apartments via Sidney Morning Herald
4. One57, New York
Building Type: mixed use, with hotel (210 rooms) and multifamily (92 units)
Height: 1,005 feet, 79 floors
Width: NA
Building Team
Developer: Extell Development Company
Design architect: Christian de Portzamparc
Executive architect: SLCE Architect LLP
Structural engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk
MEP engineer: AKF Engineers
Exterior performance consultant: Israel Berger Associates
Interior designers: Yabu Pushelberg (hotel), Thomas Juul-Hansen, LLC (residential)
Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
More on One57 via CTBUH's Skyscraper Center
5. 464 Collins Street, Melbourne
Building Type: mixed use, with multifamily (37 floors, 185 units) and office (13 floors)
Height: 593 feet, 50 floors
Width: 36 feet, 1 inch
Building Team
Developer: Equiset
Architect: Bates Smart
More on 464 Collins Street via Urban Melbourne
6. 432 Park Avenue, New York
Building type: multifamily (125 units)
Height: 1,397 feet, 85 floors
Width: 50 feet
Building Team
Developers: CIM Group, Macklowe Properties
Architects: Rafael Vinoly Architects, SLCE Architects
Structural engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk
MEP engineer: WSP Flack + Kurtz
Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
More on 432 Park Avenue via CTBUH's Skyscraper Center
7. 54 Clarke Street, Melbourne
Building Type: multifamily (256 units)
Height: 787 feet, 73 floors
Width: 39 feet, 4 inches
Building Team
Developer: Matrix & Cube
Architect: BKK Architects
Structural engineer: Macleod Consulting
Related Stories
Coronavirus | Mar 15, 2020
Designing office building lobbies to respond to the coronavirus
Touch-free design solutions and air purifiers can enhance workplace wellness.
Architects | Mar 11, 2020
S/L/A/M/ Collaborative grows significantly in deal with CBRE
The architectural firm acquires five of Heery’s practices and adds 70 people.
University Buildings | Mar 9, 2020
Designing campus buildings through an equity lens
As colleges become more diverse, campus conversation is focusing on how to create equitable environments that welcome all voices.
Architects | Mar 9, 2020
New York's façade inspection program gets an overhaul following a death from falling terra cotta
January 14, 2020, kicked off big changes to the NYC Local Law 11 Façade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP) for Cycle 9.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 9, 2020
Mobile wayfinding platform helps patients, visitors navigate convoluted health campuses
Gozio Health uses a robot to roam hospital campuses to capture data and create detailed maps of the building spaces and campus.
AEC Innovators | Mar 5, 2020
These 17 women are changing the face of construction
During this Women in Construction Week, we shine a spotlight on 17 female leaders in design, construction, and real estate to spur an important conversation of diversity, inclusion, and empowerment.
Architects | Mar 4, 2020
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara receive the 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize
As architects and educators since the 1970s, Farrell and McNamara create spaces that are at once respectful and new.
Education Facilities | Mar 3, 2020
Carisima Koenig, AIA, joins Perkins Eastman as Associate Higher Education Practice Leader
Perkins Eastman as Associate Higher Education Practice Leader
Architects | Mar 2, 2020
Two ‘firsts’ for Sasaki and LEO A DALY
Following an industry trend, the firms hire chiefs of technology and sustainability, respectively.
Architects | Feb 26, 2020
Seven architects aim to design the “newsstand of the future”
The winning project will be created and presented during Milan Design Week 2020.