Cs 052620 0583 (1)|Bower Studios X Staerk & Christensen Svale Screen 40 Photo By Charlie Schuck|Cs 052620 0678 Silo|Gustaf Westman 01|Houtique Espacio4559 Copia 5000|Bower Studios X Staerk & Christensen Svale Screen 40 Photo By Charlie Schuck|Bower Studios X Staerk & Christensen Svale Screen 40 Photo By Charlie Schuck

Mirrors Worth Marveling At

When it comes to mirrors, these four designers aren’t afraid to play up vibrant colors and lustrous materials.

Surfaces of all kinds are top of mind these days, so we decided to look at all aspects of them, in these articles, from A to Z. Thinking of surfaces less as a product category and more as a framework, we use them as a lens for understanding the designed environment. Surfaces are sites of materials innovation, outlets for technology and science, and embodiments of standards around health and sustainability, as well as a medium for artists and researchers to explore political questions.


Houtique Espacio4559 Copia 5000
Cabinette, a new co-working space in Valencia, Spain was designed by creative consultancy Masquespacio and inspired by Jacques Tati’s 1967 film Playtime. Courtesy Masquespacio

The unique allure of mirrors has captured imaginations since humans first glimpsed their reflections in slabs of polished obsidian. The English word “mirror” comes from the Latin mirari, meaning to wonder or marvel— reactions that might arise from the inventive ways that designers are applying reflective surfaces in 2020.

Take the work of Valencia, Spain–based creative consultancy Masquespacio, for example. In its latest project, Cabinette, the studio bends and twists assumptions about the interiors of coworking spaces to create a colorful retro-futuristic decor inspired by Jacques Tati’s 1967 movie Playtime. “Through the use of mirrors and other reflective elements such as curtains and metallic paint, we wanted to create the effect of an ever-changing space that transforms depending on the moment of day,” explains the studio’s cofounder Christophe Penasse. “At the same time, the reflections dislodge the creative minds and help them in their process of creating new things.”

Thousands of years ago the reflective surfaces were seen as magical. Yet today mirrors continue to test our perception of reality, encourage our fantasies, and draw our imaginations into and out of the spaces around us.

You may also enjoy “Ahree Lee Highlights How Women Pioneered Weaving and Early Computing.” 

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