The Palacio de Cristal is in Madrid’s Retiro Park. It’s full of beautiful plants, walks and buildings. One of the most impressive is a greenhouse you have to see for yourself.
The glass and metal building resembles a giant greenhouse (which is good, since it was one originally). It housed exotic flora and fauna from the Philippines for an 1887 exhibit. Currently, it’s used for art exhibits due to the plentiful light it affords. However, artist Kimsooja decided to transform it into art.
Now, the building is a celebration of color and beauty. It’s called To Breathe – A Mirror Woman.
She coated the glass panes that make up the walls and the ceiling with a diffractive film that splits the white light from the sun into the colors of the rainbow, turning the whole building into a sea of rainbows. She also installed a mirror covering on the floor to create the illusion of a floating bubble of light and color.
As visitors move through the building, they get the sense of moving around in a giant lung. The light, sounds, mirrors and windows create a conceptual piece about introspection.
Via Wherethecoolthingsare|Images Kimsooja
It would be difficult not to lose yourself in meditation inside of this exhibit.
