Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets

Helio Ray reflectors, a project by Haberdashery to illuminate the shadows in a metropolis.

Haberdashery is interested in exploring how light can instigate a positive emotional response with the public by challenging how it is used, by centring on how technology can reach us on a personal level rather than being distracted by the technology in its own right.

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (6)

Haberdashery is obsessed with creating emotional connections through the language of light; we have recently turned our attention to working at a city skyline scale to achieve this. As our cities grow ever taller, so parts of the ground level below become starved of light just like a forest floor. Helio Ray redirects sunlight from above the skyline and brings it back down the side of buildings to create a dialogue between the citizens below with our nearest star during daylight hours. Sunlight has a huge effect on our physiology and wellbeing; it influences our circadian rhythms, provides vitamin D and illuminates our environment bringing out the true colour of the surfaces, architecture and the urban grain.

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (5)

Helio Ray is a conceptual project underpinned by solid engineering knowledge and innovation. Mounted on the top of a tall building, it is fuelled by light collected from a Heliostat; a mechanised mirrored surface that automatically tracks the sun and gathers it into a concentrated beam. This beam of light when reflecting off a second custom-designed reflector that sending shafts of light down the side of a building creating awe-inspiring ‘god ray’ effects.

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (4)

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (3)

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (2)

Recycling Sunlight to bring Light into Shaded streets (1)

source Haberdashery