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The Shard in sunlight is a sight for sore eyes..
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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #1
09-11-2011 10:40 PM

Our office is 6 storeys up in Brixton which is quite nice as it offers some nice views over London but today as the sun came out briefly we were all overwhelmed by the reflected sunlight from the Shard. It was blinding and anyone who looked at it directly had vision difficulties for some time afterwards. The blinds had to be pulled and where this wasn't possible staff had to move away from their desks as several were directly looking at the reflection. The Shard itself was invisible as it had disappeared into what looked like a 'second sun' or a ball of fire. It was a real phenomenon- not really that pleasant to experiene but fascinating. Has anyone else experienced this? I wondered about the new Elephant development as this was a lot closer and also about the potential impact on helicopters flying over.
I've looked around on various websites and there seem to be no concerns about the impact of reflected sunlight on local people or low flying aircraft.

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #2
10-11-2011 01:58 PM

I don't think the reflected sunlight can be more powerful than the sun itself - although it shines in different directions. Low flying aircraft, helicopters, and the occupants of offices have to cope with direct sunlight so presumably they can learn to cope with reflections too.

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #3
10-11-2011 04:44 PM

Try working over the road from it.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #4
10-11-2011 06:09 PM

However this was some reflection from quite a distance away and very magnified, if only for about 20 minutes.

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #5
11-11-2011 11:46 AM

Without doubt, some people will get sunlight reflected into their offices and homes who have not previously had it. Some might see this as a good thing! I guess some may have to install blinds - as is usual where direct sunlight is a problem. Perhaps they could try claiming the cost of installation from the builders of the Shard.

On reflection (forgive the pun), I suppose it is possible, given the shape of the Shard, that it could concentrate the sun's energy (much as a concave mirror can) so that the intensity of the reflection at certain points is greater than would be received from direct sunlight.

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Jane_D


Posts: 189
Joined: Jan 2010
Post: #6
11-11-2011 12:44 PM

Interesting. Might it be true that as the Shard is lower than the sun, reflrections from it could come through a window at a more direct angle and therefore more powerfully?

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #7
11-11-2011 01:37 PM

The Shard won't always be 'lower than the sun'. If you are standing beneath it, it will almost always be higher than the sun, and for everyone that can see it, it will be higher than the sun when the sun is just rising or setting. Certainly it is true that there will be conditions when the sun is high in the sky and would not shine into windows much when it could reflect into windows with a pretty high power level. Consider it to be a big mirror and it is evident that its reflections can go almost anywhere. I'm sure some north facing rooms that never see the sun will appreciate some sunlight shining in off the Shard.

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Joffe


Posts: 72
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #8
15-11-2011 02:32 PM

Can't magnified/reflected sun rays cause fires?

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #9
15-11-2011 04:14 PM

Focused sun rays can cause fires. Typically through a magnifying glass or a piece of broken bottle. Not likely to be a problem with reflected rays other than from a carefully constructed concave mirror - which the Shard isn't.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #10
15-11-2011 04:31 PM

Or perhaps it was designed to protect against an attack by the Roman fleet coming from Brixton?

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andrewr


Posts: 296
Joined: May 2006
Post: #11
15-11-2011 04:34 PM

That would only work if the fleet sailed down the Thames in the afternoon. But it could protect against an invasion fleet coming up the Thames early in the morning! That's also when it could be a distraction for aircraft landing at City. But probably no worse than what they already must get off Canary Wharf.

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #12
16-11-2011 09:22 PM

I thought Archimedes used a grabber to destroy the Roman fleet.

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