Penthouse facts for kids

A Penthouse is a special kind of apartment. It is usually found on the very top floor of a tall building. Imagine a house built right on the roof! Penthouses often take up only part of the roof space.

The word "penthouse" originally meant a small building with a sloped roof. But in the 1920s, especially in America, it started to mean the fancy homes on top of new skyscrapers. Sometimes, a penthouse isn't a home at all. It can be a space for a business.

Different Kinds of Penthouses

Penthouses aren't just for living. Many office buildings have special office areas on their top floors. These are also called penthouses.

Some penthouses are used as restaurants or Cafés. Because they are so high up, they offer amazing views of the city while people eat. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City even has a penthouse used for meetings. Penthouses can also be a studio, like a place where a photographer takes pictures.

Building Rules for Penthouses

There are special rules for building penthouses. These rules are called Building codes. For example, some rules say a penthouse cannot be bigger than one-third of the floor below it. This means it can't cover too much of the roof.

A building can have more than one penthouse. The main rule is how much space each one takes up. Also, some rules say that equipment like machines or electrical gear don't count as a penthouse unless they have their own roof.

Gallery

• Penthouse residence on a building designed by Le Corbusier, in Marseille.jpg

  A penthouse home on a building designed by Le Corbusier, in Marseille.

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  Marina City in Chicago. This penthouse holds the building's equipment.

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  The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Its penthouse is used for meetings.

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  The penthouse of the Hogg Building was used for family businesses.

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  Penthouses in Paris.

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  A fancy penthouse in Moscow.