A penthouse of the “supertall” Manhattan building dubbed the world’s skinniest skyscraper has hit the market at $110 million.

The four-story home, or “quadplex,” spans floors 80 to 83 of the 1,428-foot-tall building 111 W 57th Street and overlooks Central Park. With interiors designed by Studio Sofield, the suggested floor plans features an “entertaining suite” on the first floor and a “primary suite” on the third floor, while the proposed layout is topped off by a “crown suite” containing a bar and screening room.
In total, the property features five bedrooms, six bathrooms and two terraces, as well as 360-degree views of New York City.

The building, also known as the Steinway Tower, was completed in 2022 on the site once occupied by the historic Steinway & Sons piano company. Designed by SHoP Architects and Studio Sofield, it is one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Western hemisphere — and the most slender, with a height-to-width ratio of 24:1.

Its design is meant to evoke New York’s Gilded Age of the late 19th century, when the city experienced a period of unprecedented wealth and a subsequent boom in skyscraper construction, according to the architects.
Related article How to build supertall: Designers of the world’s tallest towers share their secrets.

The vertiginous tower’s facade appears to change throughout the day as the color and texture of the terracotta blocks shift in the light. Inside, designers created a sense of opulence with materials such as marble, limestone, blackened steel and velvet used in the common spaces, and artworks by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse adorning the walls.
Its amenities include an 82-foot swimming pool, private dining rooms and a landscaped terrace.

“We’ve all been to very luxurious places, but I wanted to create a building that could not be anywhere else in the world,” Studio Sofield’s founder, William Sofield, told CNN in 2022. “I know so many people might have multiple homes, who will have apartments here.

And I wanted to create a very distinct experience that could only be had in New York.”

Source: CNN

A quarter-century after gambling resorts were first proposed in Japan, officials have finally broken ground on construction of what could become Asia’s highest-grossing casino.

Executives from MGM Resorts International and Orix Corp and local politicians gathered on an artificial island in Osaka Bay on Thursday, breaking barrels of sake to signify a new beginning in Japanese tradition.

The ceremonial event marked the most tangible step that the development has taken towards realisation after years of being beset by delays and scandal.

“I’ve been working on this for more than 15 years, and no one is more happy than I am to see this happen,” said Ed Bowers, the chief executive officer of MGM Resorts Japan. “It’s not been an easy road, and we will continue to see challenges until and after this opens.”

The ¥1.27 trillion ($9 billion) project, a joint venture of MGM and the local financial conglomerate Orix, is scheduled to open in 2030. It’s likely to become the largest casino in Asia, with an estimated gross gaming revenue of $5.9 billion per year when it opens making Japan the world’s third-largest gaming market after the US and Macau, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Last year, the Galaxy Macau was the largest casino in Asia, pulling in roughly $4.5 billion in gross gaming revenue.

In addition to the casino, the development will include three hotels, meeting and convention space, and a concert theatre, along with dining and shopping venues.

It will sit on the outskirts of Osaka Japan’s second largest metropolitan area adjacent to where the 2025 World Expo is now being held for the next six months on the artificial island of Yumeshima. Japan spent about $570 million building up infrastructure to access the area.

Source: Bloomberg

Thailand’s Ministry of Finance aims to inject over THB500 billion ($15 billion) into the economy to boost the country’s GDP growth by over 1.8%, focusing on stimulating consumption, investment, and providing soft loans.

This comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised Thailand’s 2025 GDP growth forecast downward from 2.9% to 1.8%, citing the impact of US reciprocal tariffs. Thailand remains the only ASEAN country whose GDP projection has been cut to below 2%. For 2026, the IMF anticipates a further decline to 1.6%.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Pichai Chunhavajira said that he views the IMF forecast as a preliminary assessment.

He acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies may have some impacts, but affirmed that the government is closely monitoring developments and stands ready to implement stimulus measures to cushion the GDP slowdown and
sustain growth at prior levels.

He added that the source of funding remains under review, with several options being considered.

Consultations are ongoing with key agencies, including the National Economic and Social Development Council and the Bank of Thailand.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Lavaron Sangsnit affirmed that Thailand’s fiscal position remains robust.
Lavaron said that the final
decision on the funding
source has yet to be made.

Options include budget reallocation, utilisation of the remaining 150 billion THB from previous stimulus efforts, and mobilising funds from state financial institutions for lending purposes. Details of the proposed projects should become clearer by next month, pending further global economic developments.

Source: VNA