Architecture Firm NBBJ’s Skyscrapers Erase Each Other’s Shadows

The London architecture firm NBBJ has proposed a design for a “shadowless” skyscraper. The plan actually calls for two towers, with one strategically reflecting sunlight onto the street-level shadow cast by the other, effectively eliminating that shadow. While the reflecting tower would still leave a dark footprint, the public space between the two skyscrapers would be illuminated throughout the day. To prevent the magnifying-glass effect that could produce dangerously strong rays, the window panes in the reflecting building are curved individually, creating multiple beams that deliver a soft, diffused light.

Conceived using a computer-aided design program, the curved surfaces of NBBJ’s towers are angled to account for the position of the sun at their site throughout the year. While the firm’s prototype is set on the prime meridian in North Greenwich, England, the no-shadow algorithm can be adjusted for any location in the world. A set of buildings in the Southern Hemisphere could look drastically different, as would a pair in a warmer location where more shade might be preferred over bright sunlight.

With skyscrapers rising around the globe—in London alone, 260 towers will be erected over the next few years—NBBJ’s innovative design could help brighten the sun-starved streets, an approach that could benefit cities worldwide.