When I look at New York City, I see beautiful high-rise buildings painting the skyline. I stare in amazement at the tall, slender glass structures filling the streets of the city. I shamelessly admire the apartments with views that we all dream to see. These three features, among others, are what many modern day developers and designers try to employ in their architectural masterpieces. Consequently when these buildings are completed with an abundance of luxury details, the prices they go for soar through the ceiling. For example, look at the building One57, which is located “between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, on the north side of West 57th Street.” In November 2013, One57 reported that its penthouse had been contracted for $90 million.

Navigating through the exhibit, I couldn’t help but think about the things I would look for in an apartment in the city. One feature that has always caught my eye in houses or apartments is the amount of windows and natural light that is present within the house. Not only do glass windows allow sunlight into the house, but they can also offer a breathtaking view of the landscape in front of the structure. Most of the luxury buildings shown in the exhibit seem to offer their occupants apartments that are encompassed by glass windows presenting people with incredible views and exposure to sunlight. The other feature that I’ve never paid much attention to, but plays a major role in spiking the prices of the apartments up, is the slenderness of the building. Slenderness is important to developers because it enables them to construct taller buildings that offer more and more breathtaking views the higher they go. This luxury feature is also significant because it offers the occupants a feeling of privacy. Instead of squeezing several apartments into a floor, the slenderness of the buildings allows the architects to fit only 1-2 apartments per floor, which can essentially make the apartments more spacious.

However there is a problem that arises when these buildings start to stretch higher and higher into the air. As developers and architects start increasing the height of a building, the building begins to obstruct the views that other buildings once had.  Subsequently, from a business standpoint, the value of the apartments that are blocked by the taller structures significantly decrease because the amazing views that these apartments used to have no longer exist. I strongly believe that all developers and architects need to look for solutions that will prevent new buildings from obstructing the view of existing ones.