The Skyscraper Museum, in Manhattan’s Battery Park City, occupies a small storefront space that aspires to the large scale of its subject — the history and development of the skyscraper. The mirror-polished stainless steel floor and ceiling create the impression of an infinitely vertical space, with reflections of vitrines appearing as soaring volumes within a skyline.
The location and spacing of these volumes varies throughout the museum to symbolize changes in zoning codes over time. Densely packed along the storefront, they embody an initial lack of regulation. Further inside, where the cases are mobile for easy reconfiguration, they mimic the “wedding cake” setbacks adopted by New York City in 1916, as well as the tower-and-plaza formula popularized in the 1950s. For the museum’s canopied entrance, artist James Turrell designed a large-scale “light box” that further invigorates the space.
Jumba la Makumbusho la Skyscraper, katika Battery Park City ya Manhattan, lina nafasi ndogo ya maduka ambayo inataka kiwango kikubwa cha mada yake - historia na maendeleo ya skyscraper. Sakafu na dari ya chuma cha pua iliyotiwa rangi ya kioo huunda hisia ya nafasi ya wima isiyo na kikomo, na tafakari za madirisha ya maonyesho yanaonekana kama kiasi kikubwa ndani ya anga. Eneo na umbali wa mabuku haya hutofautiana katika jumba la makumbusho kuwakilisha mabadiliko katika kanuni za zoning kwa muda. Zikiwa zimejaa sana kwenye maduka, zinaonyesha kwamba mwanzoni hazikuwa na sheria. "Kwenye sehemu ya ndani, ambapo kesi ni mobile kwa ajili ya urahisi reconfiguration, wao kuiga ""harusi keki"" kushindwa iliyopitishwa na New York City katika 1916, kama vile mnara-na-plaza formula popularized katika miaka ya 1950.""" Kwa ajili ya mlango wa jumba la makumbusho, msanii James Turrell alibuni "sanduku la nuru" kubwa ambalo linaimarisha zaidi nafasi hiyo.