The Invisible Barn may not be entirely imperceptible, but to the casual observer it might as well be. It has been almost completely covered in Mylar, the same material used for space blankets and birthday balloons. The material gives it a mirrored effect. This allows the Invisible Barn to melt into its surroundings since that is what is reflected on its surface.
Designed by stpmj, a design studio based in New York, the Invisible Barn was created for the The Architectural League's 2014 Folly Competition, which involves any building constructed mostly for its ornamentation. Designed specifically to complement the Socrates Sculpture Park, the Invisible Barn is shaped like a parallelogram. It boasts cutouts that act like open-air windows for passersby to look through. They appear to be floating.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Reflective Architecture
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design buildings with reflective surfaces to blend seamlessly into their surroundings.
- Camouflage Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create products or structures that camouflage themselves by reflecting their surroundings.
- Disguised Structures
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop architectural designs that blend into the environment by using reflective materials.
Sectors Adopting This
- Architecture
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporate reflective materials and designs to create buildings that harmonize with their surroundings.
- Construction
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate reflective technologies into construction materials to enable structures that visually disappear.
- Outdoor Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design and manufacture outdoor structures that can mimic their natural environment through reflective materials and shapes.
