With its distinct architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and global perspective, it should come as no surprise that New York City has served as a consistent source of inspiration for artists. The city has been sensitively photographed, tiled over with mosaics, flooded with flowers, and, now, meticulously reproduced on a miniature scale.
For the past 21 years, one man has been carving New York buildings by hand out of balsa wood, each rising from individual panels that, when put together, reveal the intricate urban fabric of the city. The man, who goes by minninycity04 online (and also @balsastyrofoam300 on TikTok), has already unveiled several panels from the project, capturing not only the character but the evolution of New York. One panel, for instance, depicts downtown Manhattan, complete with iconic landmarks like the green-topped 40 Wall Street tower and the art deco-inspired Woolworth Building, which was the world’s tallest building when it was originally built in 1913. One World Trade’s monumental, glassy facade also towers up from the city’s landscape, but so do the Twin Towers. In this way, the model combines both faithful and historic representations of New York, tracing the rise and fall of certain architectural forms.
“I kept the World Trade Center, since they were my favorite buildings when I was growing up in Queens,” he explains. “When I looked out my window, I’d see [the towers] every day.”
In a different video, the man showcases three sections from the Bronx. Unlike Manhattan’s highly vertical downtown, these Bronx neighborhoods are far more residential, populated by lower apartment buildings and family homes. Another video focuses on lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights, separated by the East River yet still connected by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. All told, the currently unidentified man has constructed 350 total panels, nearly 1 million structures, and all five boroughs, measuring an astounding 30 feet wide and 50 feet long when displayed in its entirety.
The sheer volume and scale of the miniature model is an impressive feat, having already attracted significant attention on social media. As one user commented on Instagram: “Legit deserves to be in an NYC museum once finished. So cool.” Another user added: “Amazing dedication and artistry! Thank you for keeping the World Trade Center in your project. They were beautiful, iconic buildings.”
To stay updated on the project, follow minninycity04 on Instagram.
A man has gone viral for his hand-carved miniature model of New York City, which features 350 panels, nearly 1 million buildings, and all five boroughs.
Large panorama of Lower Manhattan from Governors Island. (Photo: Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0)
minninycity04: Instagram | TikTok
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