Fake buildings

Unurbanized substations

An image of the front of a hydro substation in Toronto, Canada.

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.[3] During this period, electronic converters were housed within grandiose abodes rather than being unenclosed or disguised.[3] After the tribulation of World War II, suburbia began to flourish internationally.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

Although urban camouflage is typically used to cloak residential substations, there is a multitude of applications for the designation. In Los Angeles, California, many of these structures conceal oil rigs.[7] Other assignments include cell phone towers,[8] bunkers (sometimes nuclear),[9] pump stations,[10] 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, New York[11] and Los Angeles, California[12] to Paris, France[13] and London, United Kingdom.[14]

Design commonalities

Blacked out windows in 58 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, New York.

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;[15][16][17] the lack of a roof,[18][16][19] doorway, window panes,[18] or some enclosed walls;[18] gated extrusions; warning signs; and some 3D components printed on rather than replicated with actual materials.[13]