New York skyscraper design has always been the soul of the Big Apple, shaping its iconic skyline. In 2023, the city welcomed The Spiral, a 66-story tower adorned with exterior gardens spiraling around its facade.
However, the towering heights of early skyscrapers posed challenges in the past. Buildings like the 164-meter-tall Equitable Building risked casting entire blocks into shadow, even at midday.
To address this, the “Zoning Resolution” was introduced in 1916, marking the first building regulation that set limits on the height and shape of skyscrapers. This regulation, in place until 1961, gave rise to “step-back architecture”, where buildings had to recede inward after reaching a certain height at the sidewalk, creating a terraced, ziggurat-like form.
Despite these restrictions, it was still possible to construct towers of unlimited height, as long as they occupied no more than 25% of the property lot. This rule enabled developers to achieve remarkable heights, as seen with the Empire State Building.
