Reflecting Manhattan’s Stars onto the Hudson

Architizer News

Reflecting Manhattan’s Stars onto the Hudson

August 25, 2011

For one week, from September 19-27, “Reflecting the Stars” will project the stars of the night sky onto the Hudson River. Installed on the decaying posts of Pier 49, near Bank Street in Manhattan, the project uses wirelessly controlled solar-powered LED lamps to set the river alight, recreating the clusters of stars which habitually evade the city’s sky, obscured by light and other pollutants. The installation is part of Climate Week NYC, which, now in its third iteration, brings together thought and tech leaders, non-profits, and representatives of leading businesses and governments to call for urgent action against climate change. More after the jump!

Setting off for Pier 49.

The site-specific installation was dreamed up by Jon Morris, Creative Director of the Windmill Factory, who hopes to provide visitors with “a sublime moment of reflection,” while also raising “awareness about our disappearing night sky.” The goal is to once again make possible star-gazing in New York and to motivate people to waste less by turning off lights or setting them by timers, which will help in minimizing light pollution, thereby lessening its impact on ecosystems and human health.

Morris, who had no prior experience with dealing with electronics or lighting and found himself without funding, gathered together a band of fellow conspirators to jump start the project. Kontraptioneering devised a method to control the LEDs with radio waves so to not avoid the fish hatcheries beneath the pier posts. Google Software Engineer Adam Berenzweig brought on a host of interns from MIT and NYU’s Interactive Technology Program, not to mention a number of consultants, including Charles Renfro of Diller Scofido + Renfro, to program the lights with several light shows.

Installing the 201 wirelessly-controlled, solar-powered LED lights.

The team affixed all 201 LED lamps to steel pipe, which will rust soonafter installation, matching the decay of the now obsolescent pier. According to the project’s site, “the contrast of new technology encased in a rusting shell mirrors our species’ race for advancement that is changing the climate, melting our glaciers, and leaving us at a global crossroads.”

Visitors will activate the light shows by pressing buttons, upon which constellations will be mapped along the stretch of pier posts. “Reflecting the Stars” will be free to the public and will be open from September 19-26. To learn more about the project and to make a donation, visit the project’s site. The project’s launch party is next week, and we’ll be there to document the event!