architecture

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Aurora Britannica

[Image: Jan Curtis].

The Northern Lights are on the move.
"The Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America so fast that it could end up in Siberia within 50 years, scientists have said."

[Image: Jan Curtis].

"The shift could mean that Alaska will lose its northern lights, or auroras, which might then be more visible in areas of Siberia and Europe" – including, of course, the cities: Northern Lights coiling above cathedrals, bus routes, and sidewalk cafes.

[Image: Jan Curtis; see BLDGBLOG's Radio Aurora New York for another].

Auroras have already been spotted as far south as Rome, crackling above the Pantheon; following these recent, accelerating movements of the earth's magnetic field, however, Roman auroras might occur every night.
Hotel rates will skyrocket.

[Image: "The magnetosphere is a kind of elastic fire. It forms where the Earth's magnetic field meets the hot plasma – the ionised gases – at the edge of the planet's atmosphere." It is "occasionally rocked by an explosive convulsion that flings some of its energies at the Earth, switching on spectacular auroras, damaging satellites, and knocking out electric power grids"].

At least one possible architectural project here would be to construct a tower of some sort, or a superstadium full of ring magnets and electromagnetic coils; these would attract, then trap, the planet's north magnetic pole.
The pole would be permanently anchored; its terrestrial migration – and ultimate reversal – would stop.
The stadium would hum quietly, and all compasses would point toward it.
Massive sheets of auroral light would then torque downward every night at high speed – breaking away at the last minute to fold off toward the suburbs. You could stand on the roof and drink beer with your mates. Forget fireworks.
It's a Project for a New North Pole.

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