One of the most popular choices in the construction market, vinyl flooring has various characteristics that have elevated it to this level. Composed mainly of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – and with other additives, depending on its production, such as plasticizers, fiberglass, resins, and/or minerals – it is a durable, affordable, and easily installable material that can be applied in a variety of environments.
Vinyl flooring is available in tiles, planks, and rolls, which can be installed either as floating (without adhesive) or directly glued to the floor surface – be it concrete subfloors, plywood, or other existing floor types – as long as it is leveled and smooth, which ensures a quick and cost-effective installation process.
Depending on the quality of the material, vinyl tends to exhibit good resistance to impacts, stains, and scratches. These qualities enhance its cost-effectiveness compared to other flooring options such as porcelain tiles or wooden planks. Ensuring enduring durability and optimal performance requires a focus on the quality of the material and a meticulous installation process.
Regarding comfort, vinyl flooring offers a warmer and softer feel underfoot compared to other flooring types like tiles or stones. Additionally, it tends to absorb sound, reducing noise and providing a quieter acoustic experience. Another noteworthy aspect is its water resistance, allowing for use in kitchens and bathrooms. However, it’s important to note that these areas should have good ventilation and natural light to prevent the material from molding.
Moreover, vinyl offers a variety of styles, patterns, and colors, allowing it to simulate the appearance of natural materials such as wood, stone, or ceramic, and even various graphic designs, which provide numerous options to complement the environment and create a unique atmosphere.
For sustainable purposes, it is essential to investigate the specific type of vinyl flooring chosen and its production methods. The production of PVC, its main component, may involve chemicals and processes that raise environmental concerns. Nevertheless, recycling options for the product exist, although they may not be widely accessible or straightforward at present. Therefore, it is crucial to seek manufacturers with environmental certifications and ensure that the material has good durability and a long lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements.
Text description provided by the architects. The bamboo structure is located at the Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen hotel, created to serve one of its restaurants, with a view of a body of water and other amenities of the place, taking inspiration from the endemic vegetation of the region and its organic geometry, the cover is based on the structural principles of the leaves, which consist of a flat zone or lamina and a petiole that provides central support and joins it to the stem. In this way, a biomimetic approach is implemented that gives rise to a unique, lightweight, and flexible architecture that envelops the user and elegantly exposes the behavior of its elements.
The initial supports are the specifically designed metal pieces for the project, they are the main base from where the central columns are born, as if they were petioles in a plant, which curve and close upon themselves, transforming into beams and contours, giving this organic shape that flows throughout the cover. Bamboo plays an important role as a material, since thanks to its properties, this type of beams can be elaborated.
From these beams, symmetrically perpendicular logs are born, creating a cover that is sustained by emulating the function of the ribs of a leaf.
The columns provide the final support to the project. Guadua angustifolia logs were used, allowing us to break the rigid verticality of a usual column and create an element that becomes an ornamental part of the composition, reinterpreting the stems of a plant, which emerge upward from the same axis, but with their particular inclinations just as nature would do.
Above this, the roof layer is composed of an interlacing framework of bamboo slats in such a way that they create a rhomboidal weaving pattern, a subtle detail that can be appreciated when approaching from the interior and contrasts when encountering a grid and a square order that, when exponentially multiplied, transforms into something organic and curved.
Using various software, a 3D model was created that simulated the behavior of bamboo and also allowed quantifying the amount of material to be used and the cost. This fusion between technology and nature is implemented and perfected in each of our projects, resulting in a more efficient way of working with bamboo and, at the same time, revealing an unparalleled architectural proposal with the potential to provide creative solutions to the spaces of the future.
URB has released a study for “Dubai Cycle City 2040,” envisioning diverse cycling infrastructure in the Emirate. The initiative aims to revolutionize transportation in Dubai, allowing residents quick access to critical services and locations by cycling or walking. In a city where cars have reigned supreme as a transportation mode, plans are underway to transform urban mobility.
Dubai’s population is expected to double to 8 million by 2040, and because of the city’s growth and aspirations for a particular way of life, cars have become essential. Changing the attitude of mobility in the city requires a very specific approach. At the forefront of this movement is URB’s recently announced “The LOOP.” The 93-kilometer-long highway aims to encourage Dubai’s residents for a healthier mode of transportation.
Our role as urban planners has transformed into being catalysts for change. It’s not just about envisioning sustainable cities but purposefully creating assets for existing cities, driving sustainability and change. The Dubai Cycle City 2040 embodies this entrepreneurial drive. –Baharash Baherian, CEO of URB.
After “The LOOP” was unveiled, URB suggested creating a thoroughfare system for cyclists in Dubai to surpass cycling hotspots like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The initiative, which is still in the research stage, aims to create the most sophisticated and networked bicycle infrastructure in the world. In addition to encouraging walking and bicycling as the primary forms of transportation, “The Dubai Cycle City 2040” seeks to improve neighborhoods by incorporating extra features like sports facilities, public spaces, and urban agriculture. The study advances the development of the city by being in line with the objectives of the 2040 master plan and Dubai’s 20-minute city project.
Inspiration –Nestled between busy expressways and construction sites and adjacent to the old industrial town of Wan Chai Tsin, “Forest of Blocks” is a quiet, bustling forest of pure white and pink green; the beveled roof, like a building block, cleverly combines the function of advertising exterior wall, so that the traffic flow on the fast road can clearly see the reception center, and also let the years static good atmosphere and advertising benefits not only one choice but through the creative design, to make both.
Unique Properties –It takes more than noisy self-promotion to make a reception center successful. Located in a block with few open spaces, “Forest of Blocks” makes full use of its wide features, retaining nearly 10 meters of green belt outside the 111-meter-long building volume. It also carefully sets up an atrium in the base, and sets up a parent-child play area. Through large floor-to-ceiling windows, residents of the old city who walk here can easily see what is going on. It is not noisy but can naturally attract nearby residents’ eyes and also warmly conveys the home image.
Realization Technology – Starting from the forest image, “Forest of Blocks” is full of warm and childlike architectural personality, which also extends from outside to inside. Walking inside, it can be seen that the designer transforms the concept of a forest tree into an umbrella arch structure and connects it with the ceiling in different directions, creating the interest of multiple viewing angles. In this way, the natural atmosphere is introduced into the interior, blurring the boundary between inside and outside. On the other hand, the light strips on curved walls and soft draped curtains lightly separate the reception tables. Through the soft compartments, they not only maintain privacy and separation function but also allow air and light to flow naturally in the building.
Technical Properties –As the design inspiration that runs through “Forest of Blocks”, the forest concept also embodies the second-floor conversation space of the building. Starting from the concept that the forest has different scenery at each height, the designer creates a deep upper recessed niche and a large side window so that people on the second floor can look at the sky as if they were looking at the gap between trees on the ground, and also turn their heads to see the traffic on the elevated road, through a different perspective, to re-understand the settlement.
Operation / Flow / Interaction –Along with the outside floor-to-ceiling glass that lets neighbors see a variety of scenery, the design is also present in the VIP box on the inside, as well as the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors connecting the outdoor atrium. When people sit in the box, they can also feel the outdoor green and directly push the door to the atrium, as if they were relaxing in the atrium of home and barbecuing as warm and comfortable.
Research Abstract –Located in Wan Chai Tsin, an industrial district near the fast road, the designer makes “Forest of Blocks” a soft medium in the hard urban image, making the reception center a pleasant green space and a playground for children. It is also the place where Wan Chai Tsin can be seen again from multiple perspectives, which makes this street with few open fields have more possibilities for neighborhood interaction because of the “Forest of Blocks.”
Challenge –Since the “Forest of Blocks” is located in the base with a significant height difference and is adjacent to the site under construction, the designer skillfully uses waste materials from the site to fill the atrium, which alleviates the height difference and indirectly reduces the frequency of trucks going in and out to clean and transport waste. Through the strategy of killing two birds with one stone, the problem is solved cleverly.
In addition to the use of construction site waste to fill the gap, soft furnishings in “Forest of Blocks” are mostly recycled objects, so that the temporary architectural design of reception center will not cause too much waste after demolition, and the concept of sustainability is implemented in “Forest of Blocks”.
Text description provided by the architects. The recently completed Yeongwol Jongtaek is a traditional Hanok hotel with a total floor area of 16,332 m2, consisting of 78 buildings, 137 rooms (35 independent rooms, 102-row houses), a cultural exhibition hall, an outdoor banquet hall, a seminar room, a spa, and exercise facilities. This is the first private space of The Hanok Heritage House to be completed. To use the highest quality wood, we developed wood drying equipment. We dried the wood using a developed microwave method, lowering the moisture content in the wood to a maximum of 15%.
To keep the screen, which is a key element of Hanok, inside, the highest quality transparent insect screen from Europe was used to create the illusion that there was no insect screen. Although the structure is a Hanok, cutting-edge materials such as insulation were used to enhance convenience. When entering a Hanok room, guests are greeted by a subtle scent of wood that they have never experienced in any other space. This is the owner’s opinion, who understands the value and invests generously in invisible things so guests can feel the natural scent of wood rather than using an artificial diffuser. This is the result of refining the design. To ensure that guests who visit this place can rest comfortably, the basic layout of the rooms is private, the bed mattresses are of the highest quality, and the night here is filled with beautiful scenery wherever you look so that you can remember your night here.
The ground floor of each Yeongwol Jongtaek building consists of two guest rooms and a lounge with a Korean-style wooden structure. For the privacy of the guest rooms, the lounge is located in the center, and the physical distance between the guest rooms is maintained as much as possible. Each building is placed in consideration of the surrounding scenery. We tried to capture the scenery intact by placing different layouts and different building heights for each building. The ground interior uses fabric, wood, and a lighting system controlled by cutting-edge IOT to provide warmth and comfort to customers, and various auxiliary functions operated by sensors are operated invisibly to ensure customer convenience while using the room. It was designed to provide.
The basement has one guest room, living room, kitchen, dry sauna, study, media room, and winery. The basement living room was designed to respond flexibly to various events, and various space elements, including kitchen system furniture, were designed and produced. Traditional materials and craft techniques such as Korean paper, Hanjibal, Nakhwa, and Nakdong were reorganized with modern uses and applied throughout the space to create a rich aesthetic. The external public space consists of a terrace garden with various events and an infinity pool with a pavilion.
Seondoljeong (仙乭庭/5 blocks), which is currently under construction and whose design has been completed at our headquarters, is another place where you can enjoy a different view from the recently completed Yeongwol Jongtaek, enjoy swimming in the natural breeze, and enjoy a banquet in the outdoor water space. It has been upgraded with different charms and will be introduced next year. We look forward to establishing ourselves as The Hanok Heritage House, which offers various performances and cultural events, comfortable rest, and authentic value to visitors.
Unlike classical architecture, characterized by a series of rooms with very defined functions and spaces, the current architectural design seeks to integrate spaces to achieve high degrees of adaptability and flexibility. In this way, the boundaries of the enclosures are blurred and new solutions appear that are worth analyzing. In the case of bedrooms, bathrooms are often no longer a small and secluded adjoining room – instead, they are now integrated to form a multifunctional space that is subtly concealed. Just like Mies van der Rohe, who used to group services in strategic areas to create open floors, let’s review some cases that have adopted the specific solution of the hidden bathroom just behind the bed.
In the case of the Casa Hualle by Ampuero Yutronic, the same wall that faces the bed allows the bathroom to be hidden with double access, serving as support for the sinks and the mirror, located at the back. Clad in light wood, like the rest of the room, the bathroom remains concealed but highly integrated, including a bathtub with views of the landscape, a shower, and a private toilet. The separating wall doesn’t reach the ceiling and the floor is made of the same material, integrating even more all the designed spaces.
The Wilderness House by Archterra Architects features a continuous circulation around its perimeter, hiding the bathroom behind the low wall that faces the landscape with its back to the main bed. Unlike the previous case, this white wall is separated into two parts: a storage area and a curved space that includes a shower and a bathtub. Behind, the sinks and other supporting furniture are located, while the WC has been separated into a small adjoining cabin, to prevent odors from infiltrating into the bedroom.
The project for the AW Residence by andramatin includes two mirrored bedrooms with hidden bathrooms behind their beds. In this case, the wall allows the installation of sinks and storage, and the toilet and shower have been separated in an opaque glass cabin. Here, the wall is much thinner than those used in the previous cases, but it reaches the full height of the space.
Hufft Projects’ Heavy Metal house takes advantage of the space behind the bed to create a large bathroom space, including a sink, a walk-in closet, and a shower that opens into an interior patio. The wall that separates them reaches the full height of the space and is cladded with wood towards the bedroom. The WC is also located separately, in a closed cabin.
MAPA’s MINIMOD Catuçaba project, as a prefabricated and minimal-scale house, uses this solution to make the most of the square meters of the house. The bed has its back to a volume that contains storage, a sink, and a toilet, and that separates the bedroom from the kitchen and the living room. To avoid unwanted odors, two sliding doors have been arranged that allow the bathroom to be opened and closed, providing greater privacy to its users.
Taking advantage of the freedoms that hotel design provides, at the VISAYA Hotel by ATDESIGN this strategy has been pushed to the limit. The white wall facing away from the bed conceals the sink, storage, a WC, and a glazed shower, while a sculptural bathtub is fully freed and arranged in a corner of the room, providing spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.
In Substance Architecture’s 322 Reinvented home, the entire wall is transformed into a multifunctional space, including storage, a glass shower in the center, and a mirrored sink on the backside. The bathtub and toilet are located in two separate cabins, one on each side of this central wall.
For the mixed-use project Nanyang 5Lmeet by DAGA Architects, three micro-apartments have been designed using the same strategy as the previous cases. Here, the warm wooden wall allows luminaires to be incorporated towards the bed while hiding a WC and a shower in the center, and a sink and furniture on its sides, both of which are visible.
Text description provided by the architects. This project is situated within a rapidly growing neighborhood in Mississauga, a suburban city west of Toronto, Canada. It converts a 50-acre agricultural field into a richly textured parkland with a 75,000 sf Community Centre as its focus. The park connects to an existing multi-use trail system, making it a new destination in the network.
The community center’s simple yet dynamic form signals its purpose as a neighborhood landmark for social gatherings and healthful activity. The striking canopy that runs along its west and south facades extends and makes visible the building’s Mass Timber structure — an array of glulam columns that provide structural and curtainwall framing, wrapping around the gym, lobby, and pool.
This structure is clad in expanded aluminum mesh that protects the wood from the elements. This screen is integral to the overall design and daylighting control strategy and mitigates solar heat gain, filtering sunlight similar to a tree canopy. It gives occupants a strong visual connection to the park, while passively reducing the overall mechanical energy loads on the building and energy consumption.
The part of the community center arranges interior spaces into two bars running the length of the building: the east holds changerooms, with a teaching kitchen, multi-purpose, and fitness rooms on the floor above; on the west, a wider bar houses the triple gymnasium and aquatics hall with lap and leisure pools.
The park provides a series of leisure and fitness spaces, including multiple soccer fields and basketball courts, spread across a landscape with gently rolling hills (created from excavated soil) offering elevated seating to spectators. A measured trail loop, with fitness stations and interpretive signage emphasizing the natural heritage history of the area, runs around the perimeter of the park. Together building and park comprise a vital hub for leisure, sport, and recreation.
Mass timber enhances the biophilic connection and supports sustainable construction by sequestering carbon and replacing carbon-intensive materials. In aquatic centers, it outperforms steel and eliminates the need for extensive coatings. The innovative structure immerses visitors in nature, utilizing glulam columns with park views.
Energy efficiency is prioritized through strategic glazing, high-performance windows, insulation, and thermal bridging solutions. Indoor environmental quality is improved with thoughtful lighting and occupancy sensors. On-site stormwater management includes infiltration galleries, vegetated channels, and a detention pond. The existing wetland shapes the design, and excavated soil forms grassy hillocks. Dense planting connects natural corridors and involves the community. Detailed investigations protect local ecosystems and nesting habitats.
The Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023 opened on November 11, 2023, with a wide program focused on the overarching theme of The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability. While on-site in Sharjah, the ArchDaily team had the chance to sit down with curator Tosin Oshinowo and discuss her curatorial view, the development of the main themes of the program, and the larger principles and intentions behind the event. Informed by her experience growing up in Lagos, Oshinowo has focused the Triennale on the celebration of places that thrive under conditions of scarcity and the alternative models that the Global South can provide in working towards a more equitable and livable future.
In the interview, she discusses the values and principles that have given shape to the program of this year’s Triennale. Tosin Oshinowo talks about the need to recognize the value in all regions and all forms of practice. She also highlights the dual responsibility, on the one side to ensure that the Global South understands the value that is holds, and to let the Global North know that there is an alternative and that there are lessons to be learned from these regions.
All I’ve done here is highlight some of the existing conditions and celebrate the sophistication that exists within them, those conditions that don’t seem to be acknowledged by what we consider to be progress.
This vision led to the choice of the theme for the Triennale, “The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability,” as well as the choice of practices to be highlighted. The invited architects and designers share a common interest in working within the idea of context and tradition, while also integrating and being aware of the conditions of modernity. The starting point for the exhibition was the idea of “Renewed Contextual,” but this idea gained more nuances informed by the responses received from the invited architects, leading to the crystallization of new sections, the “Intangible Bodies” looking at the ephemeral ad emotional character of architecture, and “Extraction politics,” highlighting the tensions that exist between economics and the environment.
Platforms like Sharjah Architecture Triennial give a voice, accessibility, and an enabling environment to make sure that we have these discussions around areas that don’t normally get this audience. There is no center, there is diversity and strength in all sectors of the world. Ensuring that we fully understand the values that are here, that we are able to celebrate them and be able to learn from them, that is truly important.
One of the key criteria of the event was immersion within the context of Sharjah, resisting the tendency of globalization in favor of looking carefully at the immediate context, its unique identity, and the value it brings. Oshinowo describes how her curatorial view was informed by the previous edition of the Sharjah Triennale, which focused on the theme of “Rights of Future Generations” curated by Adrian Lahoud. During the interview, the curator also underlined the strive for the Triennale to offer a wider interface than a traditional architecture event in the variety of approaches presented and the search for understanding alternative ways of doing things. Through this interface, the event contributes to the critical discourse, the exploration of materials and principles, and the international cross-pollination of ideas to leave this as a better planet than what we have now.
Text description provided by the architects. This city home is in a residential area in Prawet district, Bangkok. It was designed in a relatively limited land area. The form of the land is at the corner of the road, which helps make the house in the south and east-ventilated areas. However, it opens up perspectives that neighbors can easily look into because it is an area with quite dense housing. The building’s form must help reduce heat from the sun’s rays on the south side, which is on the left side of the land and must be able to create privacy from neighboring buildings surrounded by surrounding buildings so that the homeowner’s lifestyle is private and meets the owners’ usability requirement as much as possible.
Basic designs are based on the direction of the sunlight. The heat and seasonal wind affect the building and are the starting point for organizing the inside function. The architects created this unique architectural style that would block the heat from the south to entering the main living space, selecting the kitchen, laundry room, and staircases as the areas that receive the natural light and help to reduce the heat entering the central resting area of the house as much as possible, including designing the space to be able to be used to the maximum in a limited area and according to the legal principles, resulting in a design to push the wall in some parts as necessary to be able to legally open the light way. Set back from the land’s line, every house function can receive the natural light and ventilation well.
The building’s shape on the south side is influenced by the oblique lines from the angle of the stairs to the second and third floors inside the house. Therefore, the architects designed the roof’s angle to match the stairs’ angle, creating a unique building shape from the lines. The slanted wall is sharpened by exposed brick material, which is designed to have a façade wall of exposed bricks arranged in a semi-opaque, semi-transparent pattern connecting the brick wall on the south side, bordering the pool area and the edible garden that the architects have arranged on the ground floor to meet at the front of the house in the east side to reduce views from neighbors on both sides and help to prevent the heat entering the inside spaces. It completes the building style and meets the owners’ requirement to use bricks as the main material of their home.
The architects picked these materials into materials that tell the identity of the owners and chose to use bricks in areas that can best convey the special qualities of the materials inside and outside the building. In addition, the stairs help to create the overall shape of the building. They also help protect it like a heat barrier. The interior of the stairwell was designed so that the stairs have solid sections at the entrance to the 2nd floor and chose to use translucent materials at the steps to the 3rd floor to allow natural light from the translucent roof above the stairs to shine on the lowest set of stairs. To help keep this part of the walkway bright during the daytime, greatly reducing energy use.
The inside of the house was designed to be open and airy. The function on the first floor is the living room. The dining area and kitchen are designed so that each function is an open area connected to each other by lowering the floor level. The living room helps to separate the space from each other. The central area of the house corresponds to the dining area. There is an open floor on the 2nd floor to connect the spaces on each floor so that they can be connected, yet each zone still creates privacy for those who use that area. Because the two homeowners have different lifestyles and hobbies, they need a private corner when they want to separate and do their own missions and can connect at the desired time. The top wall on the third floor that corresponds to the central hall and the master bedroom on the west have a horizontal skylight design that makes the central area of the house look like a sundial in the afternoon until just before sunset. Light drives the space to have movement and playfulness that changes momentarily. It can be said that this house was designed with a balance in planning for using the land area to suit the building area, including choosing to both protect and make appropriate use of nature.
Humans have always been fascinated by reflections. Although they are no more than light bouncing back after striking a surface, there will always be something mystical and fascinating about them –whether it be a lake mirroring a beautiful landscape or a small hand mirror reflecting our face. This explains why some ancient cultures considered mirrors to be sacred objects with magical powers, while others associated them with portals leading to an unknown world. Since then, mirrors have evolved to adopt many valuable functions that are indispensable in everyday life, being found in cars, medical equipment and, of course, in countless architectural applications, especially in interiors. Experimenting with the reflection and perception of space has become an easy way for architects, designers and homeowners to transform any room. And when looking to maximize this impact, the power of exceptionally large mirrors is unparalleled. After all, the bigger the mirror, the bigger the impact.
We often hear that a mirror should not be more than two-thirds the size of the furniture below it. But as design continues to evolve and defy outdated norms, oversized mirrors that drastically exceed standard dimensions are more in trend than ever. Usually found in bedrooms, closets and common living areas, their popularity is a result of current demands in contemporary design: subtle sophistication, crisp lines, minimal furnishings, open spaces, a feeling of airiness and a great deal of natural light. An extra-large mirror adheres to these principles by reflecting huge amounts of light off the glass and back into the space, creating the illusion of bigger and brighter spaces. It also makes a bold, dramatic statement capable of elevating a room’s aesthetics, as well as serving the practical function of capturing our appearance. In this article, we explore these possibilities through a selection of oversized mirror typologies, a lot of which can also be found in the Architonic catalog.
Playing with light, texture and angles
One of the most commonly cited uses of designing with a large mirror is to generate a sense of amplitude, both to complement large rooms or to open up small, cramped environments. But besides changing our perception of space, the correct placement allows lighting to be improved and optimized. For example, if positioned in front of a window or near a light fixture, a mirror can perfectly catch the angle of light and bounce it throughout the room. The brighter the room, the better its appearance (and the healthier for the user).
Oversized mirrors can also create texture and, as a result, fabricate spatial illusions with interesting dimensions and depth. This can be accomplished primarily in two ways: by installing a textured mirror frame for a three-dimensional effect, or by locating the mirror in a way that it reflects a textured object –such as a rustic coffee table, a furry rug or an eye-catching sculpture. In that sense, thinking creatively and carefully about the angle and placement of an oversized mirror is crucial to achieving the desired effect. The possibilities are endless; making a narrow hallway appear double the size, projecting light into dark corners, accentuating architectural elements, directing attention by generating a focal point on the wall, or highlighting accessories, paintings and furniture pieces by reflecting them from different angles.
Versatility in formats and styles
Once placement is defined, it is important to consider the diversity of styles available in the market. Oversized mirrors can be frameless for a sleek, elegant look or include a heavy, vintage-inspired frame for a dramatic appearance. They may feature LED lights and come in various formats and shapes (rectangular, round or irregular geometries). Either in their frame or in attached furniture pieces, mirror systems can integrate materials that range from wood to metal. It is important to note, nonetheless, that not all reflective surfaces are made of glass. Of course, the classic glass mirror is perfectly effective, but the same mirroring effect can be attained using stainless steel with a mirror finish or adhesive reflective films, which allow professionals to easily clad walls, sections and surfaces.
To inspire architects, designers and homeowners who are looking to integrate oversized mirrors, below we dive into a selection of styles and formats that are ideal for contemporary residential settings. Many of these designs can be achieved with products from Architonic’s ‘Mirrors’ section.
Filling the wall
Mirrored walls were at their peak between the 70s and 90s, but contrary to popular belief, they are found in many contemporary settings, from entrance spaces to living rooms. Today, modern versions express the oversized trend in its maximum splendor; the mirror effect is maximized when a reflective surface encompasses a whole wall, visually expanding the size of entire rooms by making them appear twice as large.
Free standing
When it can be complex to hang large mirrors or fill entire walls with reflective panels, classic free standing options are the ideal alternative. In fact, sometimes they are even the preferred choice for their strong aesthetic impact and functionality. With their impressive dimensions, these often double as statement pieces or bold pieces of art set to the ground. And because they don’t need to be drilled to the wall, they can be easier to move around in comparison to other formats (although many oversized versions can be quite heavy, of course).
Floor-to-ceiling
Full-length, floor-to-ceiling mirrors are usually several centimeters taller than they are wide, allowing building occupants to see their full height through their reflection. Their vertical disposition means that they are great for capturing interesting details from a room’s floor and ceiling, such as intricate floor patterns or exposed structural beams.
Hiding the closet
Similar to filling the wall, this oversized mirror format clads an entire surface. But in this case, to cover –and, at the same time, hide– wardrobe or storage spaces. In some ways, adding a reflective surface attenuates the reduced floor space that a closet implies, contributing to the perception of a bigger room (with the added advantage of enabling users to take a look at their outfits). Mirrored closets are especially suitable for smaller bedrooms that benefit from this sense of openness and airiness, as well as for concealing storage elements that may interrupt the visual flow or style of a space.
Attached to the wall
Adding an extra-large wall-mounted mirror is a simple way to optimize space and create a clear focal point. Either attached to a vertical surface with adhesives or hung with brackets or wires, these work well when designers seek to save floor space or merely to draw attention to the wall. They don’t necessarily have to cover the entire wall to achieve the oversized effect, but must be large enough to create a big impact, often appearing disproportionate to the rest of the furnishings.
Oversized mirrors can be heavy, involve a large investment and usually require a lot of maintenance to keep their surface spotless. However, they clearly make a big difference that can certainly justify the hassle, ultimately contributing to brighter, better and seemingly larger spaces.
ARCHIABYSSNIYA 