New York, the city that never sleeps, is famous for its iconic cityscapes. Almost everyone immediately recognises the metropolis in photos, advertisements and movies. But some of its signature shots will soon be drastically changing: Very tall, and above all, very skinny buildings will give the city a new look. Amongst other things the famed tourist-view from the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Centre across the Central Park will partially be blocked by these architectural marvels. Developments in the real estate market for the super-rich and recent advances in construction technologies have triggered this revolution.
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Ten New Supertalls Under Construction
To make the dimensions clear: Today there are eight supertall buildings, which are defined as those that rise above 300m. In the next few years ten more supertalls will be added to the New York skyline. And with them another evolution is taking place. Eight of the new skyscrapers will be residential buildings, whereas most of the older supertalls are office towers. The first impact on the skyline was made by the 432 Park Avenue building, which stands 426 metres. It was topped out in 2015 and is clearly taller than the nearby Empire State Building. With its width of less than 30 metres and its width-height ratio of 1:15 it looks breathtakingly thin. With the Central Park Tower (472m), the Steinway Tower (435m), and the One Vanderbilt Place (427m), three more skinny residential supertalls above 400 metres will soon be completed. They are all in close proximity to Central Park and will be taller than both the Empire State Building and the former World Trade Center.
New Demands and New Technologies
The massive construction activity is being driven by the global real estate market of the super-rich. The average apartment in 432 Park Avenue is listed at around $32 mil, while units on the higher levels cost up to a staggering $82 mil. 53rd Street, were several of these new supertalls are being built, is already called “Billionaire’s Row”. But how is it possible to build such incredible thin supertalls? First, you have to consider the relatively small footprint of building mechanics at the centre of residential towers. Instead of hundreds of business people, only a few residents live on each floor, so far fewer elevators are needed. Furthermore, many super-rich prefer to own their own storeys, fuelling demand for more compact designs. Another breakthrough was made by concrete manufacturers. In recent years, innovative concrete mixes have more than doubled its strength, making new width-height building ratios possible. The Steinway Tower will have an astonishing width-height ratio of 1:24. But of course the new skinny supertalls are very controversial among New Yorkers and architects. Some like them for their exciting architecture and their sheer height, while others think the towers would be better suited for a city like Dubai. Additionally, the supertalls embody the displacement processes that Manhattan is also struggling with.
You recently wondered about people without pants in your hometown subway? Probably (and hopefully) they took part in the urban phenomenon of the annual Global No Pants Subway Ride. Otherwise you just met someone who forgot to take on his pants – like a New York worker in 1986. According to a legend it all started with this poor overworked guy. Another version includes students from Austin who took off their pants for fun in a semester celebration. Nowadays, fun is definitely the main goal of the No Pants Subway Ride, which emerged first in 2002. Organised by the New York performance group Improv Everywhere, the now global event encourages people to feel the joy of liberated legs and to take life in general less serious.
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From Prank to Urban Event
The first organised No Pants Subway Ride took place in New York with only seven brave members. In 2018, only in Big Apple over 4000 took part in the event. Moreover, people are joining in from more than sixty cities worldwide. Especially Sydney, London, Berlin, Paris, Shanghai and Mexico City made a name for themselves as venues. Participants are usually of all ages, races and backgrounds. Men and women participate equally.
Public Transport as Stage
The subway is a particularly suitable place for the event. It’s a confined public space where many people with different backgrounds meet without knowing each other. The feeling of being part of a performance is especially strong in this kind of areas. With only a few participants, a little shame is added, which gives the event an additional excitement. The No Pants Subway Ride takes place in January to reinforce the contrast between thick clothing and nakedness. Besides having no pants on, participants are often celebrating themselves and wear fancy underwear.
Mysterious things went on in Manhattan for the last few months: Massive bouquets and flower arrangements appeared all over the island. Some are placed in trash cans, turning them into giant flower vases, while other are arranged around famous places like the John Lennon Memorial or the Alice in Wonderland Statue. The performance already provoked comparisons to the actions of street art icon Banksy. But in contrast to the graffiti artist, the florist does not hide. The beautiful flower-filled works of art are made by New York City-based florist studio Lewis Miller Design.
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From Wedding Florist to Guerrilla Florist
Usually the Lewis Miller Design Studio creates flower arrangements for events like proms, weddings or company and private parties. In October 2016 however, the studio started a campaign called Flower Flashes, in which sidewalks, trash cans, statues and public places are adorned with massive bouquets and flower decorations. In a blogpost on his website, the owner Lewis Miller explains: “Gifting flowers to New Yorkers is a simple idea that I have been thinking about for years. I hoped for smiles, the ones that happen when you witness a random act of kindness. That was my goal, my vision. Create an emotional response through flowers.” The installations were made from flowers from previous events but still cost up to $10,000 for bigger arrangements.
Blur of Colour in the Urban Canyons
The most notable feature of the Flower Flashes campaign is the stark contrast between the dull cityscape and the colourful decorations. Especially the trash cans were transformed from an eyesore to an objet d’art. Despite their very temporary character, the bouquets and flower arrangements were recognised by many people and had a large online coverage. So, in the end, Lewis Miller’s idea to create smiles on New Yorker faces worked out pretty well.
