Designed by Natura Futura Arquitectura, the small mirrored viewing platform was completed in summer 2016 and functions as a rest stop for hikers in the ecuadorian countryside. The Los Rios-based studio positioned the observation deck titled “The Invisible Portal” on a trail that runs between Guaranda and Babahoyo in the Andes mountains.
The 13-square-metre structure is made from wood in the inside but covered in mirrored panels, reflecting the valley below. This architectural intervention was built to promote different kinds of experimentations and reflections on our actual lives. The art object wants to bring us back to earth and to the roots, resulting in a door that opens to the idea when humanity used to live in the countryside instead of big cities, maintaining a relationship with nature. The project is part of a series of self-managed interventions, whereby the portal is a door that opens only to discover what’s already there.
