Hasta La Ideas

The St. Michael Alignment is arguably the most prominent and intriguing of the many ley lines that criss-cross Britain. It runs in a straight line between Land’s End, England’s southwestern extremity, and Hopton-on-Sea, on the Norfolk coast. Its name derives from the many sites devoted to St …

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What appears to be an open tunnel beneath a bridge in northern Spain is in fact a concealed passageway, screened behind a secret mirror.

Local studio VAV Architects temporarily installed the mirror inside the doorway to a passageway that burrows through the base of the river-spanning bridge.

A slither of daylight passes around the edges of the mirror into the tunnel, creating an illuminated outline around the reflected view.

The true view is revealed when the mirror is revolved around a central pivot.

Other recent projects on Dezeen to feature mirrors are a shop with a central photography studio and a garden filled with a maze of grey brick arches – see all our stories featuring mirrors here.

Photography is by VAV and Miquel Merce.

Heres a short project description from VAV Architects:

Mirror lab

The idea of exploring the mirror for the installation has grown from the desire to capture, explore and experiment with the landscape, rather than the built form.

The project itself is not important on it’s own, as much as is its relationship with the site.

The mirror lab is merely a tool to explore and capture the views of the existing and by doing so it becomes invisible, completely dissolving into the landscape. A simple insertion into the bridge, solely supported by the two points, mirror lab adds a new dimension to the site, both inside the arc, by doubling and inverting the space, and outside, by capturing and framing the views.

Pivoting through the centre, the door allows the visitors to interact with and become part of the installation, immersing themselves into and exploring both the real and the reflected landscapes.

Place: Bridge de Sant Roc, Olot, Spain
Material: bridge, mirror, timber, plywood, landscape
Function: gate
Time: 5 days

See also:

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Master Designer’s Garden by Martha Schwartz Partners	Chimecco by Mark Nixon	Tree Hotel by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

Canadian artist Ingrid Dabringer has recently come to our attention for her map paintings, in which she reinterprets the vagaries of plate tectonics as portraits and dancers with a vaguely fauvist flavor.

She recently shared her creative process with the Huffington Post (their Travel section, no less): “I’m constantly pulling focus with my eyes. Sometimes I focus on the color, other times topography, other times black lines or colored lines or the landmass. I also let my eyes go blurry and focus sort of behind or in front of the map. Once I sift out a contour I don’t lose it. In the end, I see all of the separate elements all together.”

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Solitary Arts’ Geoff McFetridge-designed skateboard now available for a limited time as a deck

Solitary Arts‘ first and most popular skateboard to date, Big Red, is now available for a very limited time as a standalone deck. The board, inspired by a thrift store find in San Francisco years ago, mimics the plastic banana board cruisers of the ’70s, but with a contemporary feel. Made with seven-ply maple and updated with a slight concave and an upturned nose, the board hits eight inches at its widest for the perfect cruiser style while still being totally skateable.

Rad screen printed graphics by Solitary Arts’ co-founder Geoff McFetridge, combined with the footprint-shaped custom grip, guarantee it will look just as sweet on your wall as it will under your feet. Previously only available as a complete setup through Solitary Arts directly, you can now pick up the deck itself for only $50 through Huckberry, the recently-launched flash sale site that features guest buyers for each collection of goods. This round, picked by CH contributor Mike Giles, is available only through this Thursday, 18 August 2011.

For Los Angeles, there’s Urbanic Paper Boutique:

Tucked away by the ocean of Venice Beach, Urbanic Paper Boutique offers a sophisticated collection of unique cards, stylish papers, modern gifts, office accessories and custom stationery. Urbanic is located in the upscale and eclectic shopping district of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, and and is frequented by design lovers and event planners throughout Los Angeles.

Our stylish pup looks quite at home!

Urbanic recently hosted a Pinterest meetup: