Meet Joe Macken, the genius who’s spent 21 years building an insane 3D model of New York City (NYC) out of balsa wood.
This New Yorker’s dedication is next level- he’s got nearly a million buildings across all five boroughs, plus parts of Jersey, Westchester, and Long Island.
The interesting thing is It’s all held together with polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue and some serious skill.
In an interview, he revealed the process behind building up such a gigantic project that spans over 2 decades. Macken said, “It was quite the process. I just kept building and building and building.”
The hyper-realistic masterpiece is jaw-droppingly detailed, capturing everything from Astoria’s iconic row houses in Queens to the majestic United Nations building and serene Central Park in Manhattan.
Among all the landmarks, Manhattan alone took 12 years of his life to build it, with each skyscraper artistically crafted from scratch.
Macken’s masterpiece has caught attention online, with TikTok views calling the 3D cartographer a “living legend” and imploring NYC cultural institutions to showcase his Big Apple tribute in an exhibit.
Among the more than 12,000 comments with one labeled his work “insanely impressive”- YouTube from its official TikTok account, wrote, “A million buildings! A museum needs to display this asap.”
Macken, who hails from a Middle Village, Queens but moved to upstate some 20 years ago, began this balsa wood project as a “hobby” after being inspired by seeing the Manhattan skyline out of his bedroom window.
Besides, he used to watch old NYC documentaries featuring Rockefeller Center and iconic landmarks. Thus, Macken passion for balsa wood miniature developed over the time.
In April 2004, he gave the project final thought and started creating his masterpiece, constructing one building a night. The first one he dreamed of long ago was Rockefeller Center.
Macken keeps his Big Apple replica in a storage unit near Albany
How much money has Macken spent to date?
Macken has spent shockingly between $20,000 and $40,000 on materials to date.
What is his next project?
Inspired by The Mary Tyler Moore Show, he expects to finish the Minneapolis project in just two years- a far cry from his NYC experience.
