Study for Maximum Mass Permitted by the 1916 New York Zoning Law, Stage 4

Hugh Ferriss's rendering demonstrates the architectural consequences of New York's 1916 zoning ordinance, which required buildings to step back at prescribed heights to admit light to streets below. This study shows a central tower flanked by symmetrical smaller towers, each with dramatic setbacks that create a tiered silhouette. Ferriss's charcoal technique—with its bold contrasts and radiating light rays—visualizes the monumental form that would dominate Manhattan's skyline. The drawing proved influential among architects designing skyscrapers through the mid-twentieth century, establishing the setback tower as the defining image of modern urbanism.