As someone who lives in the concrete jungle most of my life, the idea of being surrounded by nature and taking time to sit quietly and meditate is a luxury that I rarely have. Its my dream actually to live somewhere that whenever I want to take a pause from looking at buildings and vehicles, I can go to a nearby spot and just have a time out from my daily life and marvel at nature. For those who have that privilege of living in a place like that, an observation point in the middle of all that is a welcome break. Designer: TephraAlong the Eau Morte riverbed in Faverges, France, there is one such observation point. Refuge of Stones is an installation and a shelter where you can observe the mineral landscape of the area. While its primarily a threshold between the path and the river, it is also a place where you can sit down and observe the different geological cycles that have shaped that area. The shelter has gabion walls that are made from seven tons of stones that actually come the dry riverbed itself and is a result of both mountain erosion and direct collection. Previously, they were hidden underneath the flowing water but now theyre part of the structure. The gabions also have wood and steel elements combining to give a porous texture that gives you different visual patterns with the light and shadows cast on the structure all throughout the day. There is a wooden bench inside the structure where you can rest and observe your surroundings as it is eye level with the dry riverbed when youre seated on it. The combination of the play of light and shadow and the dry riverbed, as well as the surrounding trees and plants give you time to meditate not just on nature but also the constantly shifting terrain of the Eau Morte riverbed. This structure is simple and minimalist but comes from the material integrity design approach. Each stone actually has its own story looking from the geological perspective but because they are now assembled and structured in another context, you get a new narrative, focusing on the passage of time and both the presence and absence of the water in the river. The post Refuge of Stones is a threshold to make you meditate on cyclical nature of the river first appeared on Yanko Design.