New york city in handmade, miniature wooden model
For 21 years, artist Joe Macken has built a handmade, miniature model of New York City, which has now gone on public view for the first time. On display at the Museum of the City of New York until the summer of 2026, the exhibition and model take over the Dinan Miller Gallery on Fifth Avenue, where the public can study the city ‘from above,’ through their eyes. Titled He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model, the exhibition presents a 50-by-27-foot installation that shows the city, crafted by the artist’s own hands using materials that are readily available.
Artist Joe Macken started the work in 2004 using balsa wood, cardboard, and glue, and for him, these materials are important because they show that complex urban form doesn’t need advanced tools. The design follows the real layout of New York, from the streets and blocks to the buildings. All of them are placed in correct positions, but the model isn’t a strict copy because Joe Macken adds small changes based on how he sees New York City. It then creates a mix of history and personal memory, allowing the handmade miniature model to be a map and a story.
all photos by Nicole Freezer Rubens, via Instagram
Architectural ‘map’ that follows the layout of the city
The exhibited handmade, miniature model of New York City by artist Joe Macken began with 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the building that acts as a starting point. From there, the model grows outward, expanding one by one just like the city in real life. Over time, the model becomes dense, reflecting the reality of the place. Since it’s a downscaled map of New York City, viewers can walk around and study it to see and understand how the neighborhoods connect. They can compare heights, shapes, and distances of the streets and buildings, as the handmade, miniature model of New York City becomes a tool of education using design and craftsmanship.
The model also works as a tool for thinking about cities, as it shows density, which is a key part of New York City. Here, the buildings are close together, the space is limited, and the entire design makes this visible. It also shows architectural diversity, as different building types stand side by side. This mix, in many ways, shows part of how the city works. The handmade, miniature model of New York City has also been built over two decades, and during these times, the real city changed. New buildings appeared, while others were removed, and Joe Macken had to decide what to include. On his map, the past and present blends, offering the public a view on how cities are always in progress. In this way, the design of the model does more than represent New York. It explains how the city is built, how it grows, and how people remember it.
for 21 years, artist Joe Macken has built a handcrafted, miniature model of New York City
the model is on display at the Museum of the City of New York until the summer of 2026
the exhibition and model take over the Dinan Miller Gallery on Fifth Avenue
the exhibition presents a 50-by-27-foot installation that shows the city
project info:
name: He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model
artist: Joe Macken | @macken3991
museum: Museum of the City of New York | @museumofcityny
photography: Nicole Freezer Rubens | @nfrconsult
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