Mariia Shapovalova (OS 2017)
Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture,
UCL 2018–2021
Meddling in the light of the forest: reconstructing the
landscape revealed by light
When we first visited Flimwell in East Sussex in September,
the light beams were coming through the canopies and
clusters of leaves appeared to be hovering in the air against
the dark background of the woodland. Aiming to reconstruct
this landscape later on in the year, viewing filters mimicking
those light conditions were fixed onto a wearable metal
structure. The base for the filters was derived from the
geometry of the canopies’ openings. The glass wax was
then poured through the gaps in the bases, recreating the
way light enters the forest. During the presentation on site,
visitors were invited to test the structure by placing it on
their shoulders and seeing the sceneries set against the
glass wax and mirror lenses. The mirror filters reflecting the
sky recalled the ‘light clouds’ of leaves observed in Flimwell
in September. As the user moved, the reflections changed as
well, all in different ways due to the bends in the mirror and
different reflective planes, allowing the viewer to experience
the woodland in a new way.