A lush passageway beneath a Spanish bridge hides a playful and intriguing secret: it is a doorway to an unexpected place. The passageways beneath the Bridge de Sant Roc in Olot, Spain ordinarily takes people from one side of the picturesque bridge to the other. But thanks to VAV Architects, the unassuming path underwent a charming intervention.

(all images via: VAV Architects)

Looking through the arch, you might see a lush pathway surrounded by beautiful greenery. Look closer and you may even see a person who looks a lot like you inviting you to explore the space. That would be thanks to the highly unusual mirror gate that VAV Architects installed in the space under the project name Mirror Lab 2.1.

The reflective surface gives the illusion that there is nothing new beyond the passageway; there is no hidden world waiting to be discovered, only one that looks remarkably similar to where you’ve just been. The gate pivots on a central pole, allowing explorers to push past it and go on to explore what is really on the other side of the bridge.

The reflective surface gives a distinctly Alice in Wonderland kind of feel to the bridge passageway. The mirror is slightly smaller than the chamber it occupies, allowing a small amount of sunlight to pass through all around its edges and creating a beautiful frame of light that just begs to be investigated.