designboom · Creativity & design

Infinite Grove Pavilion Creates Forest Illusion with Mirrored Walls

A traveling pavilion in Shanghai, called Infinite Grove, uses curved mirrored-steel walls to reflect a single tree, creating the illusion of an endless forest. The installation aims to expand urban green spaces and offer a unique sensory experience.

Designed by Chang Hao Studio, the Infinite Grove pavilion was first showcased at the 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival. It features two curved mirrored-steel walls that multiply a single tree through reflection, making it difficult to distinguish the real tree from its mirrored counterparts. Frosted panels diffuse daylight, softening the interior and enhancing the immersive effect.

The pavilion's design draws inspiration from classical Chinese garden principles of framed views and borrowed scenery. A circular entrance offers a partial view, with the full effect of the multiplied tree revealed upon entering. The visitor's own reflection is also incorporated into the mirrored landscape.

Infinite Grove is a mobile installation designed to be transported and re-erected with minimal ground impact, as it requires no foundations and can be moved on a single truck. The central tree is changed seasonally to offer a different visual and spatial experience at each location.

For the spring flower festival, a flowering azalea was used, its blossoms multiplying into a colorful forest. In summer, an olive tree with silver-green foliage replaced it, giving the reflected landscape a lighter character. The structure itself remains constant, while the choice of tree reshapes the interior environment.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.