Man’s desire to be invisible or make things disappear dates back to ancient times. Illusionists have been successfully making objects as big as the Statue of Liberty, the ‘Taj Mahal’ and even the space shuttle disappear.
Now, in an illusion that even famous illusionist David Copperfield would be proud of, plans have been unveiled in South Korea for the world’s first invisible tower: Tower Infinity.
The invisibility illusion will be achieved by using a series of cameras to capture real-time images of surroundings. These images will be displayed on hundreds of rows of LED screens spread over the tower, allowing observers to take in the view that the tower would otherwise block.
It will be built just outside of Seoul near the Incheon International Airport. One may wonder why they are building it near an airport when it can disappear and pose a grave threat to flying planes or even birds. But the architects have confirmed that the tower has been designed so as to remain visible to birds and air traffic, posing no risk to planes with its use of flashing red lights and subsonic, low frequency deterring sounds to ward off incoming birds. This is the same technology currently utilized by many airports.
Designed by U.S. based GDS Architects, the glass-encased Tower Infinity will also boast the third largest observation deck in the world and offers something innovative to spark imagination in the ongoing global race of building the tallest building in the world. Construction was planned to be completed in 2014 but, according to Forbes.com, this is no longer the anticipated completion date. A new completion date has not yet been announced.
