Designing the Shadow-less Skyscraper

Using digital design platform Rhinoceros, architects modeled the shape a shadow-less skyscraper would need to take. "They used computer modeling to design a pair of buildings, one of which works like a gigantic, curved mirror. The glass surface of the northernmost building reflects light down into the shadow cast by its southern partner. And the carefully defined curve of that glass allows the reflected light to follow the shadow throughout the day. Note that the reflected light is diffuse—not a focused death ray that could fry an egg or burn tourists."

Greenwich, England is the design's intended site, but a similar model could potentially find use in cities worldwide. From the article: "All you need to do is change the inputs: when and where the sun passes overhead at your location. The approach could be helpful in places like New York, where residents have resisted the construction of several new skyscrapers that they say will plunge Central Park into shadow."