fotofon

In older NYC buildings there will be a shaft down the center of the building, presumably to provide light and air circulation in the days before air conditioning. Today, its unneccessary, but does make for a prime location to stand for clear cell phone reception.

it's still a good way to get windows into an apartment. there are probably still similar rules today, governing exactly how many square feet of glazing (some operable) you need corresponding to the floor area of the room in questions, and also it's function. if the building itself takes up a thick, dumpy block, well then all the more necessary that you carve shafts in to access the inner units.

i need to get out more.