Joe Macken constructed a fifty by twenty-seven foot model of New York City from balsa wood and cardboard over twenty-one years. This display is currently housed at the Museum of the City of New York and runs until 12th October. The piece consists of hundreds of thousands of individually cut parts assembled without digital assistance. Visitors can examine the intricate details of the skyline and street level from multiple angles within the exhibition space.
The project demonstrates sustained manual craftsmanship in an era dominated by automated design tools. It serves as a physical counterpoint to the virtual models generated by artificial intelligence systems. The construction highlights the time investment required for high-fidelity physical representation compared to rapid digital rendering.
- Materials used: balsa wood and cardboard
- Construction duration: twenty-one years
- Dimensions: fifty by twenty-seven feet
