Mirrors Over Manhattan

More large mirrors–in this case reflecting light.
In order to combat the pervasive urban shadows created by the skyscrapers looming over Teardrop Park South in lower Manhattan, landscape designers have installed three large mirrors on the roof of a nearby 24-story building that will reflect sunlight down into the park below. The mirrors, called heliostats, are eight feet in diameter and cost $355,000.
According to “daylight consultant” David Norris:
The mirrors, though, will reflect enough of the sun’s rays to keep the park in sunlight year-round, he said, and in some ways will be more effective than broad daylight since the rays can be directed to different spots at different times of the day or season, as needed. The light will shine in large pools or in well-defined spotlights, but will not be concentrated enough to blind or burn, he said. “It’s nothing more than once-reflected sunlight, somewhere on the order of 70 to 80 percent of the power,” he said.
* More on Acoustic Mirrors Across the Channel.
* Kircher’s Catoptric Theatre, a funhouse of mirrors.
[Acknowledgements to Collision Detection]
[Del.icio.us | Reddit | Digg]
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.











