Kielder Observatory
Kisa Kawakami, 2006
Mirage deck is the physical legacy of a sculptural installation that occupied this space from 2006-11. The reflective discs installation that hung in the trees above the deck were removed after 5 years leaving the interlocking decks and walkways within the forest as a resting place for travellers along the Lakeside Way.
Mirage deck is sited along the Lakeside Way halfway between Lewisburn bridge and Bakethin Weir and is fully accessible. Visitors can access Mirage deck from Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, Kielder Waterside, or from the Bakethin Weir approach road.
From Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, look for directions to the Lakeside Way south shore and then follow the track approximately 2.5 miles/4 km towards Kielder Waterside.
From Kielder Waterside, follow the Lakeside Way south shore towards Kielder Castle Visitor Centre for approximately 2.5 miles/4 km.
Mirage decking can be accessed directly off the C200 from Bakethin Weir. Turn off where Bakethin Weir is signed. After parking, follow the Lakeside Way heading east towards the Lewisburn bridge and Kielder Waterside for 0.3 miles/0.5 km.
A good way to explore all the artworks along the Lakeside Way is by cycle. Bikes should be to at least hybrid cycle grade with decent country tyres for the changing terrain of Kielder Water & Forest Park.
Created by Japanese artist and architect Kisa Kawakami in 2006, Mirage used the patterns in the forest and the light from the water and sky to create a new destination within the trees. During his initial visits to Kielder the artist became interested in the contrast between the dark interiors of the forest, and the brightness of the light outside a light that was often seen through a screen of trees preventing a clear picture being formed of the outside world. Kawakami worked to create an installation that would bring some of this elusive quality of light into the forest, and these ideas eventually took the form of five hundred pairs of shiny disks hanging high in a three dimensional cloud that reflected the light from beyond the forest. Underneath the discs, a series of interlocking terraced decks created a resting place for visitors pausing amongst the trees to enjoy the glittering sculpture.The hanging disc cloud was de-installed in late 2011 and the interlocking deck elements remain as a legacy of the project.
Mirage deck lies between Bakethin Weir, site of the Kielder Column, and the Lewisburn bridge, a spectacular curved suspension bridge designed by Forestry Commission engineers and installed to carry the Lakeside Way across the Lewisburn.