Illustrator: Cathryn Virginia
Environment
Buildings Don't Have To Be Bird-Killers
Glass-encased towers are still death traps for birds. But designers know how to stop the crashes.
The narrow stretch that separates Quay Tower from a thatch of bamboo and oaks in Brooklyn Bridge Park doesn’t look like much, especially in winter. Unless you’re a bird.
To a bird, the copper-colored building’s glass is a mirror, reflecting the thick grove of trees and suggesting that the wilderness continues across the road. To a bird, that can be a deadly mistake.