The Moynihan Rail Hall train station in New York is decked up with an unusual form of artwork called The Hive, a set of up to nine-foot-tall models of skyscrapers made up of aluminium, inspired by a collection of 100 upside-down skyscraper models.

Curated by the Berlin-based artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, which hang upside down like stalactites from the ceiling near the 31st Street entrance, the designers claimed that a mirrored base gives passengers the impression that they are projected into the metropolitan environment and produces an illusion of an imagined metropolis.

"People are often in a rush when they go to the train. We thought of making something that you could get the sense of in one viewing, but if you wanted to have a full experience you could stop and look up and discover new aspects of the artwork over and over again," said Mr Elmgreen.

The aluminium structures, some of which are exact reproductions and others pure fantasy, have futuristic-looking edges and small lights. The artists intended for the installation's almost 100 structures, the majority of which are constructed of aluminium, to provide commuters with a unique experience each time they visit.

“That’s an important aspect of it, that people do see themselves reflected in the base plate. We like that there’s an interaction between the audience and the work itself,” said Mr Dragset.