flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline

Spireworks app lets users control a piece of the New York skyline

Anyone with a smartphone can change the color of the lights at the Bank of America Tower and 4 Times Square.


By BD+C Staff | August 22, 2014

Mark Domino, the son-in-law of developer Douglas Durst, has developed an app, called Spireworks, that allows anyone with a smartphone to change the color of a building's lights. 

Durst installed the corresponding technology on two midtown skyscrapers—Bank of America Tower and 4 Times Square, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports. App users will be able to play with the light colors on the spire and antennae of the buildings, as well as add sparkles and pulses of light.

The project is still in the testing stages, and users can join only if invited by a current user. Durst says there are a few hundred users so far and estimates that about five people manipulate the lights per night. 

Domino and Durst told the New York Daily News that the project is meant to be a fun alternative to the Empire State Building, which changes its lights for the holidays. “People don’t believe you can do this,” Domino told the paper. 

The company is still unsure how many users can utilize Spireworks at once without crashing the system.

Related Stories

| Jun 11, 2014

Koolhaas’ OMA teams with chemical company to study link between color and economy

Dutch company AkzoNobel is partnering with Rem Koolhaas' firm OMA to study how the application of colorful paints and coatings can affect a city's economic development.

| Jun 11, 2014

Oceanic oases: Two new luxury condominiums under construction in South Beach

Slated for completion in 2015, both the seven-story, 275,141 square-foot One Ocean and six-story, 190,654 square-foot Marea will offer landscapes by Enzo Enea and interiors by Yabu Pushelberg.  

| Jun 11, 2014

Esri’s interactive guide to 2014 World Cup Stadiums

California-based Esri, a supplier of GIS software, created a nifty interactive map that gives viewers a satellite perspective of Brazil’s many new stadiums.

| Jun 10, 2014

Site optimization: Paving the way for smoother land development projects

The biggest cost differential when dealing in site development from one site to another is the earthwork. So, when selecting a site, it is critical to not only take into account the initial purchase price of the property, but also what sort of investment it will take to prep the site for development.

| Jun 10, 2014

Gaudi’s famed cathedral on ice: Dutch students to construct 132-foot ice replica of Sagrada Familia

"Sagrada Familia in Ice" will be built with a mixture of wooden fibers and plain ice that is three times stronger than ice. 

| Jun 10, 2014

Built-in balcony: New skylight windows can fold out to create a patio

Roof window manufacturer Fakro offers a skylight window system that quickly converts into an open-air balcony.

| Jun 10, 2014

New York's first-ever public housing for visually-impaired begins upgrade

Selis Manor is the first government-funded residence for the vision-impaired and disabled in New York City. MAP’s design eases crowding, increases security, and separates residents and visitors. 

| Jun 9, 2014

6 design strategies for integrating living and learning on campus

Higher education is rapidly evolving. As we use planning and design to help our clients navigate major shifts in culture, technology, and funding, it is essential to focus on strategies that help foster an education that is relevant after graduation. One way to promote relevance is to strengthen the bond between academic disciplines and the campus residential life experience. 

| Jun 9, 2014

Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program

The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.

| Jun 9, 2014

10 projects named 2014 AIA Small Project Award winners

Yale's funky new Ground café and a pavilion made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles are among the nation's best new small projects. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021