In pictures: After the “skinny house” comes the “skinny tower” – Sao Paulo high-rise is 80ft tall, but just 13ft wide
We've heard of "gap houses" – in fact, they're currently popping up in disused alleyways all over London – but what about a "gap tower block"?
Triptyque, an architect with offices in France and Brazil, has created a tower block designed to fit into a narrow gap between homes in Sao Paulo. The building is 13ft wide, but 80ft tall.
Called Leitão_653, the building houses eight loft-style apartments, all of which are a surprisingly spacious 1,100 sq ft, and come with double-height ceilings to boot. They even come with a retractable wall on the second storey, which apparently creates a sense of "tranquility". Or just a cool toy. Whatever…
Could London's architects learn from this? As politicians like to point out, the capital's housing shortage is becoming increasingly urgent, with another 14,400 homes a year needed to meet demand. It makes sense that gap tower blocks could provide one solution to the capital's woes. The only question is whether the capital has enough unloved alleyways…
The skinny tower, in all its splendour (Source: Triptyque)
… and from another angle (Source: Triptyque)
… and at sunset (Source: Triptyque)
One of the apartments, with retractable wall semi-retracted (Source: Triptyque)
The garden of the ground floor apartment (Source: Triptyque)