Shalom Drizin: NYC Will Have the Thinnest Skyscraper in The World

Changes in technology and construction materials in recent years have allowed the construction of slender towers that are among the highest in the world. Some of these buildings will begin to transform the iconic New York skyline.

“For now, the thinnest is the recently completed 432 Park Avenue tower. The bright white column, just south of Central Park, measures 425 meters (1,396 feet), but each side is only about 28 meters (93 feet) wide,” said Shalom Drizin, Head Officer at Fieldbridge Associates LLC, a company which has been operating in the apartment building sector for over 30 years, “That's taller than the Empire State Building, but as wide as the length of a basketball court”.

Just a few blocks away, construction is underway on another tower that could be the thinnest in the world. The tower, at 111 West with 57th Street, would be 426 meters high and 18 meters wide.

That tiny off-plan surface contrasts sharply with the great skyscrapers of the past. The base of the Empire State, for example, occupies an entire block of the city.

The notable real estate expert, Shalom Drizin pointed out that the use of high-strength concrete and steel, which were not available a couple of decades ago, can withstand more stress levels. Also, advances in computing can improve modeling and construction simulations, as well as improvements in construction devices can reduce oscilations. According to Drizin, in high-rise buildings, these devices are used to help control how structures move in the wind and make them more comfortable for the people inside.

It is not just engineering that drives the race for the thinnest towers. In New York City, there is very little land available to build these days. Buying an entire block to build a large skyscraper would have a prohibitive price.

"What is happening right now in New York is quite unique," said the experienced real estate professional, Drizin.

According to Drizin, there are now 101 high-rise skyscrapers in the world, 51 of them built in the past five years. That definition refers to blocks of 300 meters or more.

Eight other buildings are expected by 2020 in New York City, including office and residential buildings. At least 10 others have been proposed, including the first outside of Manhattan. That project features a 73-story building in downtown Brooklyn that, with its projected height of just over 2304 meters (1,000 feet), would far exceed all others in the neighborhood.

Shalom Drizin indicates that prices in these buildings are expected to be as high as the views. A three-bedroom apartment at 432 Park Avenue is now offered for $ 17.75 million. A penthouse sells for $ 75.5 million.