Major cities around the world are seeing an increase in the number of skyscrapers being constructed. The trend has arisen because in many of these areas the amount of land available to build on is very limited. This means building upwards is often seen as the only practical solution. London is one of the best examples of the trend. In 2015 it was reported that there are currently 70 buildings under construction which are over twenty storeys in height, and an additional 200 plus are being planned.

It has been noted that many of the new skyscrapers are thin in shape. These so-called “skinnyscrapers” are categorised as buildings with a width to height ratio greater than 1:10. This means they have a small footprint but can still create an impressive number of new dwellings. Architects are managing to tackle the lack of space and dramatically increase the value even small sites can offer.

There are many examples of “skinnyscrapers” around the world, including 56 Leonard in New York, and Highcliff and The Summit in Hong Kong. There are also plans for a Skinny Shard in London. Melbourne will soon become home to one of the thinnest skyscrapers in the world. Collins House will be just 11.8 metres wide at the base, sitting on a site that is just 0.7 metres wider. It will be 183 metres tall when finished, offering a mixture of one, two and three bedroom apartments across 57 storeys. This will give it a width to height ratio of 1:15:5.

The design of Collins House is distinctive because the building is wider on the upper floors. The lower 15 storeys will be 11.8 metres wide before the building expands outwards by an additional 4.5 metres. To achieve this, the owner of the site had to buy air rights to account for the parts of the building that will overhang neighbouring properties.

In the future it is expected more buildings in large cities will be designed like this, with a small footprint and wider floors above, especially if air space is available. Improvements in technology will also help to facilitate this, giving architects in London and throughout the world the ability to become ever more creative with their space-saving designs.