Mirrored viewing platform by Natura Futura is disguised against the Ecuadorean landscape

Projecting over a hillside in the Ecuadorean countryside, this small mirrored viewpoint was designed by Natura Futura Arquitectura as a rest stop for hikers (+slideshow).

The Los Rios-based studio positioned 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 but covered in mirrored panels that reflect the mist-filled valley below.

“The number of people who visit the natural vantage point use this space as a point for meeting and to rest on the grass,” said Natura Futura.

The mirrored walls are intended to help the observation point blend into its environment.

A small gap in the rear wall of the simple, open-air structure allows visitors to access the wood-lined platform within.

Broad steps that double as a bench lead up to the edge of the pavilion, which cantilevers over the hillside.

From here, visitors can stand on the wall to get a better view of the forested mountains and sheep roaming the pastoral landscape.

Photography is by Natura Futura Arquitectura.

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Project credits:

Architecture: Natura Futura Arquitectura
Collaborators: Ramón Vivanco, Nathaly Gaona, Fausto Quiroz, Herman Laroze

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