Where can I find a 3D scale model of Manhattan?

October 19, 2005 8:10 AM

Where can I find a 3D scale model of Manhattan?

I saw a show on Dutch TV today which featured French architect Pierre David providing the viewer with an architectural tour of Manhattan (I think it may have been a French production). On his desk, he seemed to have a model of most major buildings on the island (it was very briefly shown) - perhaps not all buildings but the rough geography and relative heights of most neighbourhoods, plus the very well-known buildings in Midtown and Lower Manhattan in great detail. It was like a much cooler, hardware version of Google Earth's building outlines.

I suspect this may have been a one-off, inaffordable architect's toy, but do you know of anything similar?

posted by goodnewsfortheinsane to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

The City Models Exhibition on the 50th floor of Mori Tower in Tokyo has amazingly huge and intricate 3D scale models of Manhattan, Tokyo, and Shanghai on display.

links here
posted by dydecker at 8:28 AM on October 19, 2005

google earth?
posted by CrazyJoel at 9:30 AM on October 19, 2005

bah sorry
posted by CrazyJoel at 9:30 AM on October 19, 2005

I hope this isn't too much of a non-answer but if you like this kind of thing you might be interested in the Pipers London Model.
posted by teleskiving at 9:32 AM on October 19, 2005

My clients (architects) always have these models for presentations etc., although they usually represent several blocks or a neighbourhood rather than the whole island. I'm pretty sure there must be several architectural model-making firms that have them somewhat ready-to-go, but as to who they are I couldn't help. Do you know any local architects whose brains you could pick?
posted by jamesonandwater at 9:51 AM on October 19, 2005

It'd be hard to take it home with you, but I absolutely recommend a visit to the Panorama of New York City at the Queens Museum of Art.
posted by Vidiot at 10:10 AM on October 19, 2005

This site sells software CAD models. Which is not what you want, but the image on that page shows what one would look like. Flatter than I expected.
posted by smackfu at 10:50 AM on October 19, 2005

I thought the BYTES of the BIG APPLE - New York City Department of City Planning would have a model available for use by planners and architects but I could not find one. Most major cities who give a rat's ass about their city scape have a physical model of the city which planners/architects can use as a resource. Contact the city planning office or try the schools of architecture at Columbia and Yale.
posted by Dick Paris at 12:11 PM on October 19, 2005

(This would be a great high school shop class project. Child's play if you have a rough computer model and a CNC router.)
posted by smackfu at 4:41 PM on October 19, 2005