9. Townhouses in the Sky at 80 South Street

Santiago Calatrava, 80 South Street, 2003. Courtesy Sciame Construction

In 2003, Santiago Calatrava proposed a 835 foot metallic sculpture composed of cubes supported by a cantilever. The 12 cubes would each be four stories high, each containing condominiums which would have their own external garden, costing anywhere from $29 to $59 million. The base would also contain commercial spaces.

However, Calatrava and New York builder Sciame were unable to convince investors to support the plan. Of the design, Calatrava told The New York Times “I could make more money doing a conventional building on the site, and we always have that option. But I’ve worked 30 years to be in a position to not have to do the conventional building.”