Eight steps is all it takes to comfortably stride the width of one of Melbourne's newest and most surprising buildings. With a frontage of only 6.7 metres, the 29-storey tower marks the arrival of the tall, skinny skyscraper on the city's streets. Thin is in.

This was a building I expected to dislike. A tenet of this state government has been that if it is tall, it is good: the skyscraper has been embraced as a defining feature of our city - much to Melbourne's potential detriment.

Phoenix apartment tower at 82 Flinders Street Melbourne. Credit:Angela Wylie

So my trepidation was understandable. We are not Hong Kong or Tokyo or, for that matter, Manhattan, places where land is at such a premium that tall, skinny buildings have been embraced to make the most of scarce and tiny lots. What was tall and skinny doing in Melbourne?

But to my surprise and despite my initial scepticism, I like it. Next month, the hoardings will come down at 82 Flinders Street and the tower will be finished. It will be an improvement in a part of the city that is a mishmash of buildings and uses - from car parks to old newspaper offices.