New York to Developers: Stop Using Empty Space to Make Your Buildings Taller

At the heart of many of New York’s tallest residential skyscrapers lie “mechanical voids.” They are growing in size and number and the city council and Mayor Bill de Blasio have had enough.

From outside, they are often just windowless strips covering the equivalent of multiple floors. Inside is equipment to keep the building running, and empty space, sometimes a lot. Height added by mechanical rooms doesn’t count toward a tower’s floor area that developers must get approved by the city, so they can be used to make buildings taller. With greater height comes more expensive penthouse views and the bragging rights that come with stature.