We’ve blogged about optical illusions before. In our post Optical Illusions Explained we shared images and diagrams to illustrate the different types of optical illusions that exist.
 |
 |
 |
But what about real life?
Some architects and designers like to include them in their work, although they can exist in nature too! Here are our top five.
The Impossible Triangle, Perth - Australia
 |
 |
Source: Wikipedia
The Impossible Triangle in Perth is an example of a paradox illusion - an illusion generated by objects that are paradoxical or impossible. The Impossible Triangle is actually an example of a Penrose Triangle - first created by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd in 1934 but independently devised and popularised by psychiatrist Lionel Penrose and his mathematician son Roger Penrose.
The Storseisundet Bridge - Averøy, Norway
Source: Martin Ystenes
The Storseisundet Bridge is an example of a distorting illusion. When viewed from certain angles, the curvature of the bridge makes it look like the road simply vanishes in mid air!
The Storseisundet Bridge is the longest of the eight bridges that make up the Atlanterhavsveien, the road connection from the mainland Romsdal peninsula to the island of Averøya in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.
Zhongshuge bookshop - Yangzhou, China
Source: Shao Feng as featured in Dezeen
Shanghai studio XL-Muse used black mirrored flooring and arched shelves to create the illusion of tunnel of books inside the Zhongshuge bookshop in Yangzhou.
Lake Sørvágsvatn - Vágar, Faroe Islands
Source: Roman Polepar
Lake Sørvágsvatn in the Faroe Islands is popular with hikers from across the globe - not just because it’s the largest lake on the Islands, but also because when viewed from specific angles it looks like the lake is balanced high above the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, it’s just another distorting illusion. The step sides of the cliff to the side of the lake make it look much higher up than it actually is!
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Source: tripzumi.com
The world's largest salt flat is a popular spot for ‘make your own illusion’ tourist photos. The seemingly endless horizon is incredible for creating distorting illusions.
Which is your favorite?
Related Posts:
Create Your Own 3D Optical Illusion