LOCATION OF THE WORLD’S SHALLOWEST (SKINNIEST) BUILDING; VANCOUVER, BC V. PITTSBURGH, PA

THE SAM KEE BUILDING 8 WEST PENDER STREET, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY: The Sam Kee Company—one of the wealthiest firms in Chinatown—purchased a standard-sized lot in 1903. In 1912, however, Vancouver widened Pender Street and expropriated 24 feet of the above-ground portion of the property—effectively (or so it was first believed) making conventional commercial use of the remaining frontage impractical, if not impossible. In 1913, after refusing the neighbors offer to buy the remaining land, Sam Kee hired an architectural firm to design a building that would fit on the lot. BUILDING DIMENSIONS: Ground floor depth (from storefront to rear of building): 4 feet 11 inches. Second floor depth (from overhanging bay window to rear): 6 feet.  CURRENT USAGE: The building is currently a tourist attraction and also houses an insurance office. CLAIM TO TITLE OF WORLD’S SHALLOWEST BUILDING: ·         The building depth is 4 feet 11 inches on the ground floor. ·         Recognized as the “World’s Shallowest Building” by Guinness World Records

THE HENDEL BUILDING AKA “THE SKINNY BUILDING”  241 FORBES AVE., PITTSBURGH, PA HISTORY: The Hendel Building, more commonly known as the "Skinny Building", is an unusual building in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Skinny Building's narrow lot was created in 1903 by a street widening project. The building itself was constructed in 1926 by Louis Hendel, partly out of spite for neighboring business owners who complained about him obstructing the sidewalk with his fruit-selling business. BUILDING DIMENSIONS: The “Skinny Building” is 80 feet long and 5 feet 3 inches wide. It is a three-story steel-framed building with a brick, wood and glass façade. CURRENT USAGE: The building is currently owned by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and the Foundation plans to renovate the building as part of the Fourth Avenue Historic District. CLAIM TO THE TITLE OF THE WORLD’S SHALLOWEST BUILDING: ·         At no point along the entire three-story height does the building exceed a depth of 5 feet 3 inches. ·         The second floor of the Sam Kee Building has a depth of 6 feet.