A shadowless skyscraper that allows sunlight to filter down to the street?

Such an idea is hardly science fiction as a London-based architectural firm has advanced a concept for a "No Shadow Tower," CNN reports.

The building, which would reduce shadows that typically block out sunlight by 60 percent, is being promoted by NBBJ architects. They showcased their invention at a think-tank-sponsored competition launched to see how skyscraper construction "could benefit public spaces," according to CNN.

The shadowless building concept works by a construction design that allows light to be reflected between two buildings, pushing sunlight down to the ground, CNN said.

Such a scenario is advanced "by using an algorithm in the design phase to calculate which panels on a building will be in view of the sun at certain hours of the day depending on its location, shape and the time of year," CNN noted.

The panels can be place in certain ways on the building that allow light to be bounced into public areas on ground level, CNN said.

You can't remove the shadow from one building," said NBBJ's design director Christian Coop to CNN.

"(But) if you have two buildings, one to the north and one to the south, you could form the building to the north to act like a mirror that would reflect the light in complete sequence to track the shadow from the south."

The design is crucial for London, where 230 new towers are planned, but also appropriate in other areas where large scale development continues, Gizmag reported.

Noted the website of the crucial innovation in construction: "Though shade has always been a concern for architects and planners, London's dramatic increase in tall buildings will mean more darkness than before for those at street level."

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