Engineering:Fake buildings

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Short description: The tactic of hiding aesthetically unpleasing equipment in residential areas.


History

Unurbanized substations
= An elaborate hydro substation in Toronto, Canada lacking urban camouflage yet still concealed.
An image of the front of a hydro substation in Toronto, Canada.
An image of an unconcealed substation in Warren, Minnesota with many metal parts fenced off in an open field.
An unconcealed electrical substation in Warren, Minnesota.

The popularization of urban camouflage dates back to the early 1900s when substations were first introduced in Toronto, Canada.[1] During this period, electronic converters were housed within grandiose abodes rather than being unenclosed or disguised.[1] After the tribulation of World War II, suburbia began to flourish internationally.[2] Due to this eminent boom in society, the electricity demand expanded exponentially, and architects were called to find openings for wanted substations. During this, Harold Alphonso Bodwell, a utility employee appointed to the situation as the lead designer, introduced the idea of disemboweling unused housing for these substations to the directors.[3] One of the earliest known examples of urban camouflage is from 1907 when 58 Joralemon Street in New York was acquired by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and gutted for the use of ventilating underground transportation.[4]

Usage and placement

Although urban camouflage is typically used to cloak residential substations, there is a multitude of applications for the designation. In Los Angeles , many of these structures conceal oil rigs.[5] Other assignments include cell phone towers,[6] bunkers (sometimes nuclear),[7] pump stations,[8] and subway ventilation shafts. Ultimately, these mirages are not inherently installed to prevent vandalism or burglary but rather for the ambiance of its area. Urban camouflage not only maintains property value due to its ambiguous appearance, but it also upkeeps the location's layout. These façades can be discovered internationally from the United States' New York City [9] and Los Angeles, California[10] to Paris, France[11] and London, United Kingdom.[12]

Known locations

The following is a list of known locations that use urban camouflage.

For ventilation

  • 145 rue La Fayette. 10th arrondissement of Paris.
  • Affiliated buildings of Holland Tunnel. New York City , New York, United States.
  • 58 Joralemon Street for rapid transit. Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York, United States.
  • 23/24 Leinster Gardens for rapid transit. London, England, United Kingdom.

For power conversion

  • Strecker Memorial Laboratory. Southpoint Park, Roosevelt Island, New York City, United States.
  • 51 W Ontario Street. Chicago , Illinois, United States.
  • 640 Millwood Road. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • 29 Nelson Street. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Design

Design commonalities
An image of the front of 58 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, New York. Its windows are blacked out.
Blacked out windows in 58 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, New York.
An image of a rugged building with printed pictures of windows as opposed to real glass with curtains and framing.
Printed images of windows rather than real glass panes, curtains or framing.

Most examples of urban camouflage are similar to the design of their surrounding buildings, but this is not always the case. Some instances, however, are less convincing due to design flaws caused by the contained equipment or other difficulties. These flaws include blacked-out windows;[13][14][15] the lack of a roof,[16][14][17] doorway, window panes,[16] or some enclosed walls;[16] gated extrusions; warning signs; and some 3D components printed on rather than replicated with actual materials.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Turning on Toronto: A History of Toronto Hydro". City of Toronto. 23 November 2017. https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/online-exhibits/web-exhibits/web-exhibits-local-government/turning-on-toronto-a-history-of-toronto-hydro/. 
  2. ↑ Nicolaides, Becky; Wiese, Andrew (2017). "Suburbanization in the United States after 1945". Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.64. https://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-64. 
  3. ↑ "Power Houses: Toronto Hydro's Camouflaged Substations". Webist Media. 5 February 2012. https://weburbanist.com/2012/02/05/power-houses-toronto-hydros-camouflaged-substations/. 
  4. ↑ "Fresh Air for Tunnel: Plant Site Purchased". New-York Tribune: p. 4. 1907-03-23. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66972675/. 
  5. ↑ Kholstedt, Kurt. "Hollywood-Worthy Camouflage: Uncovering the Urban Oil Derricks of Los Angeles". 99% Invisible. https://99percentinvisible.org/article/hollywood-worthy-camouflage-uncovering-the-urban-oil-derricks-of-los-angeles/. 
  6. ↑ Carlson, Cajsa (29 April 2021). "Annette LeMay Burke documents America's camouflaged cell phone towers". Deezen. https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/29/annette-lemay-burke-cell-towers-disguised-fauxliage/. 
  7. ↑ "Fake Chalets: Unmasking the Bunkers disguised as Quaint Swiss Villas". 13 THINGS LTD. 26 June 2015. https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/06/26/fake-chalets-unmasking-the-bunkers-disguised-as-quaint-swiss-villas/. 
  8. ↑ Chan, Casey (21 January 2014). "This normal looking house is fake and actually hides a pump station". G/O Media Inc.. https://gizmodo.com/this-normal-looking-house-is-fake-and-actually-hides-a-1505479080. 
  9. ↑ Tedesco, Lianna (12 October 2021). "NYC Is Full Of Fake Facades, And This Is What To Know About Finding Them". The Travel. https://www.thetravel.com/where-to-find-fake-facades-of-nyc/. 
  10. ↑ Matthew, Zoie. "4 Oil Wells Hidden in Plain Sight in L.A.". Los Angeles Magazine. https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/hidden-oil-wells/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Moggia, Silvia (17 January 2017). "Did you know about the fake painted buildings in Paris?". Silvia Moggia. https://silvias-trips.com/painted-building-paris/. 
  12. ↑ "23-24 Leinster Gardens, London's False-Front House". Britain Express. https://www.britainexpress.com/London/23-24-leinster-gardens.htm. 
  13. ↑ Batemen, Chris (18 February 2015). "The transformer next door". Spacing. http://spacing.ca/toronto/2015/02/18/transformer-next-door/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nguyen, Clinton. "8 fake buildings that are actually secret portals". Insider Inc.. https://www.businessinsider.com/8-fake-buildings-that-hide-substations-and-tunnels-2016-7. 
  15. ↑ Carlson, Jen (8 February 2022). "It's a historic townhouse, but 58 Joralemon is also a secret subway exit and shaft house owned by the MTA". New York Public Radio. https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/58-joralemon-brooklyn-heights-secret-subway-exit-shaft-house-history. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "No, say it ain't faux! M.T.A. plant hits the fan". Schneps Media. October 2015. https://www.amny.com/news/no-say-it-aint-faux-m-t-a-plant-hits-the-fan-2/. 
  17. ↑ "145 Rue Lafayette". Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/145-rue-lafayette. 



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