ODA’s Proposed Manhattan Tower Offers Residents a Slice of Suburbia in the Sky

Inspired by the recent trend for super-skinny, super-tall skyscrapers currently dominating the Manhattan luxury residential market, ODA New York has developed a proposal for East 44th Street which they describe as “a new urban reality” for the city. By taking a prototypical, modestly-sized tower building and stretching it skyward, the firm has inserted sculptural skygardens in the voids opened up between the floors to create a tower that combines the advantages of urban living with the spatial benefits of the suburban home.

“True luxury evolves from the ability to have the best of multiple worlds without compromise,” explains the firm’s press release, “and in this tower, the best of urban living melds with the dream of a suburban backyard resulting in the ultimate urban fantasy.”

“There is a huge disconnect between how we live in our cities and what we need, as human beings, for quality of life. I don’t think that we should be forced to choose between enduring in the city, or escaping to suburban areas,” added ODA’s founder and executive director Eran Chen. “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 proposal offers residents in 11 of the building’s 44 apartments access to their own private outdoor space, with the 16-foot (5 meter) ceiling height for the gardens ensuring that sunlight can penetrate throughout the garden. In addition, the form of the core and supporting structure on these open floors is designed to reduce the wind load on the building without sacrificing the expansive views.