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In 1961, Fontana visited New York for his first solo exhibition in the United States. It brought Fontana international fame and cemented his status as a pioneer of modern art.

The American metropolis left a deep impression on Fontana. During his artistic career, Fontana had collaborated with architects on several occasions, and in 1921 he had obtained a diploma as a construction manager. So architecture was definitely his speciality. Fontana commented on his trip: "New York is more beautiful than Venice! The glass skyscrapers look like huge waterfalls cascading down from the sky. At night [New York] is a great necklace of rubies, sapphires and emeralds". Fontana's fascination with the vibrant city and its impressive architecture - especially the skyscrapers with their reflective facades and breathtaking heights - is reflected in this monumental work in sheet copper.

Fontana is renowned for his innovative use of materials. For the Metalli group of works, he used copper, brass and aluminium sheets, which he perforated or slit and chiselled. In the 'Metalli' of the New York series, he gives the material a new, dynamic dimension, capturing the energy and pulsating life of the city. In this way, he manages to capture an experience that was as exciting as it was disturbing for him. In his own words:

"How can I paint this terrible New York? Suddenly I had an inspiration: I took some shiny metal sheets and started working on them, scoring them vertically to give the impression of skyscrapers, piercing them with an awl, undulating them to create a dramatic sky, and reflecting some coloured tin foil into them to create a neon-like glow".