Ultra-thin skyscrapers: Russian contribution to the new typology

Abstract

The forecasts for the development of future architecture have practically ignored one of the typologies of residential architecture that emerged in the 2010s and currently has a small number of representatives. In this regard, ultra‑slender residential skyscrapers and the main completed projects embodying their principles are examined. Such projects are few in number, but have already become a media phenomenon in the architectural press. The interest in them is largely due to the fact that such buildings are created at the limit of construction capabilities. It is noteworthy that Russian architects have managed to contribute to this new, albeit rather narrow, architectural direction and to promote its development. The project of the building at 262 Fifth Avenue in New York, which has received the unofficial name “the first Russian skyscraper” on Manhattan, and whose completion is due this year, is studied. The declared typology has significantly improved over the short period of its existence and is developing rapidly. It is expected that modern construction technologies, in particular 3D printing, will contribute to reducing the cost of construction of such buildings and expanding their shaping possibilities.