A New Era of Skyscrapers in New York

"When you’re putting up a multi­billion-dollar tower that’s a quarter-mile high, there’s not much leeway to make it a work of art. On the other hand, when you’re putting up a multibillion-­dollar tower that’s a quarter-mile high, it had damn well better be a work of art," writes Justin Davidson to begin an article examining the wave of new skyscrapers in planning and construction in New York City.

Davidson proceeds with the premise that "Skyscrapers can be better," by examining a history of skyscraper development in New York and the contemporary unique design, planning, and economic considerations impacting the current wave of development. After examining specific cases and calling on historic arguments by Louis Sullivan and Ada Louis Huxtable, Davidson concludes with the following: "The fact that they contain the caviar of real estate means that they can afford the luxury of being good. We have to live with the follies of the outlandishly wealthy; we can at least insist that they pamper themselves in a way that also enriches the city."