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

Sponsored | | Mar 30, 2014

Ontario Leisure Centre stays ahead of the curve with channel glass

The new Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre features a 1,400-sf serpentine channel glass wall that delivers dramatic visual appeal for its residents.

| Mar 28, 2014

Crazy commuting: British artist wants to construct 300-foot water slide on city street

Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram hopes that the temporary installation, once funded, will encourage the public to think about "how we want to use the city, and what sort of future we want to see.”

| Mar 27, 2014

Develop strategic thinkers throughout your firm

In study after study, strategic thinkers are found to be among the most highly effective leaders. But is there a way to encourage routine strategic thinking throughout an organization?

| Mar 27, 2014

16 kitchen and bath design trends for 2014

Work on multifamily housing projects? Here are the top kitchen and bath design trends, according to a survey of more than 420 kitchen and bath designers. 

| Mar 26, 2014

A sales and service showcase

High Plains Equipment, a Case IH dealership in Devils Lake, N.D., constructs a larger facility to better serve its customers.

| Mar 26, 2014

Free transit for everyone! Then again, maybe not

An interesting experiment is taking place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where, for the last year or so, its 430,000 residents have been able to ride the city’s transit lines practically for free. City officials hope to pump up ridership by 20%, cut carbon emissions, and give low-income Tallinnites greater access to job opportunities. But is it working?

| Mar 26, 2014

Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies

Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com. 

| Mar 26, 2014

Zaha Hadid's glimmering 'cultural hub of Seoul' opens with fashion, flair [slideshow]

The new space, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, is a blend of park and cultural spaces meant for the public to enjoy.

| Mar 26, 2014

First look: Lockheed Martin opens Advanced Materials and Thermal Sciences Center in Palo Alto

The facility will host advanced R&D in emerging technology areas like 3D printing, energetics, thermal sciences, and nanotechnology.

| Mar 25, 2014

Sydney breaks ground on its version of the High Line elevated park [slideshow]

The 500-meter-long park will feature bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.




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