Mirror house from another dimension

Luke Riley Luke Riley
Lucid Stead, royale projects : contemporary art royale projects : contemporary art Case eclettiche
Loading admin actions …

Today on homify, we are privileged to host an amazing project presented by the talented artists at Royal Projects: Contemporary Art. Entitled 'Lucid Stead', the project appears to blur the lines between architecture and art.

It all began when artist Phillip K Smith III stumbled upon an abandoned shack in the middle of the California High Desert. He immediately thought the abandoned, then run-down wooden shack would be perfect for his next work. The artist repaired the old shack to its original condition but with some very distinct changes that will alter the way one perceives and thinks about the structure. 

We don't want to give too much away, so continue scrolling to see for yourself!

Photos captured by: Steve King Photography.

Like a mirage

Isolated in the middle of the California High Desert stands the shack. The dry, arid desert makes an amazing backdrop for the project. From a distance, most would assume it was just an isolated cabin or some kind of outpost. 

However, those who venture closer will soon realise that there's more to this building than meets the eye…

Reflective beauty

Mirrored panels alternate with the wood to create horizontal stripes around the outer walls, allowing narrow sections of the shack to seemingly disappear into the vast desert landscape. The shack appears much like a mirage, creating the illusion that you can see right through the building. 

Admire how the reflected images, reflected light and depth perception has been completely altered via the mirrored panels.  

The project's aim

Phillip K Smith III aimed to show how volatile and unpredictable the seemingly boring and monotonous desert could be by highlighting how small changes can make a huge difference in someone's thoughts and perception of the building and landscape. 

He invites viewers to tap into the quiet and pace of the desert, align themselves, and let the project unfold before their eyes.

LED effect

With the incoming darkness before sunset, the shack changes again. Projected light emerges from the window openings and the doorway, becoming rectangular fields of colour. 

The mirror panels are in-built with a special LED system that's controlled by a computer program called the Arduino. Coloured lights bring a new energy to the sand and vegetation, introducing change and new energy in the seemingly lifeless landscape.

Lighten up

Phillip K Smith III invites visitors to the project to tread close around and far away from the building, allowing for the colours of the doors and openings to change with the pace that they're moving.

Or they might question whether the colours are changing at all – it's all unique to the visitor. 

After dark

In complete darkness, Lucid Stead appears differently again. Each window and door shines in a different colour, continuing to change thoughts and opinions. 

What makes this project so special is that it was achieved so simply. After viewing this project one might feel their five senses have been completely altered.

To check out another fantastic piece of architecture, don't miss: A simply fantastic house.

Hai bisogno di aiuto con il progetto della tua casa?
Contattaci!

Articoli più recenti