Commissioned by the City of Alexandria, SOFTlab has designed a colorful and interactive art installation. The illuminated piece, called Mirror Mirror, explores the reflection and refraction of light. The concept was inspired by Alexandria’s historic Jones Point lighthouse. The lighthouse uses a special lens, called the Fresnel lens, which uses multiple prisms to concentrate the light source and direct it into a beam.
Mirror Mirror’s 25 feet wide and 8 feet high circular structure is clad with a mirrored surface. The exterior is a monochromatic mirror that reflects the surrounding environment, including buildings, visitors, and cars. The interior is tinted with the full spectrum of colors. The colors draw visitors into the interior space, through an opening in the structure. As visitors approach, LEDs are activated by sound sensors and produce light. This alters the appearance of the panels, that transition from mirrored to transparent.
Project: Mirror Mirror
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Designer: SOFTlab
Photographs: Alan Tansey
