folie project: final panels.

These are the 3 A1 final folie design panels that were submitted. 

OUR DESIGN STATEMENT:  In today’s society, people’s self-perspective is one of high importance, inflated ego, and a general feeling that the world revolves around them. With the advent of new technology and social media, it is now easier for people to communicate their ideas and feelings to a mass audience. More than ever before, society is able to share irrelevant information and personal details through this new online forum. The folie proposal is a response to this current social issue.

Approaching Howard Smith Wharves, the folie appears as a solid, heavy mass at the base of the cliff face. Constructed of concrete and metallic cubes, it reflects the surrounding cliffs and river.  As one descends into the folie, the intimidating structure is fully realised. The dimly-lit, stark interior of solid and artificial concrete blocks overwhelms the occupants. Looking up through the small shaft in the roof, one is positioned to view the sheer scale of the intimidating cliff face. Like the fascist architecture of Nazi Germany, the folie represses the individual, stimulating a sense of insignificance and irrelevance.

  

A small screen, previously thought to be concrete, flickers to life, providing real-time imagery of the occupants. Another screen illuminates, sparking a chain reaction in which screens appear from all sides. Each projects footage of historic and current world events focusing on themes of destruction and devastation, but also highlighting significant human achievements. More than a folie, the space is in fact an art installation, a curated museum where footage is regularly updated.  

The users are confronted and overwhelmed by both the architecture and the footage. Their current life now doesn’t seem so significant. As the screens black out and the space once again dims, the occupants are left with one heavy realisation: they are not the centre of the universe.

project development.

conceptual development.

CONCEPT: 

Our group decided to relate our folie to a prevalent issue in today's society: with the increasing popularity of online social media networks, people are becoming more and more self focused and absorbed, making a big deal of the small things and a small deal of the bigger issues that are occurring in the real world. The aim of our folie, therefore, is to serve as a reminder, or 'reality check' that this is not a healthy mindset to have, and that we, as individuals, are not the centre of the universe.

exploring spiral forms: 'being too wrapped up in ourselves'

taking the user through a journey, where the space becomes tighter and more 'suffocating.'

reflective surfaces: notice the bigger picture.

highlighting one piece in many; symbol of the user.

digital projections on the ceiling of the structure.

solid-void theory: spaces shaped by solid objects are as important as the objects themselves.

series of cubes constructed of concrete to create a very dense, heavy environment.

using the physical context (cliff face) as an element of 'intimidation' where the user is made aware of scale and proportions

exemplars.

I always find it useful to look at precedents early in the design process. We often use exemplars as a basis for our own designs, twisting and adapting and adding to ideas that have gone before. Below are some of the projects I came across that really inspired me and set my ideas in motion. Each provides a unique learning environment and experience for users.

1. the morning line. [matthew ritche]

"this project proposes a ruin from the future, a new type of structure whose function can only be inferred not just by using it but by reading it." (quote from Design Playgrounds Article)

image retrieved from: http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/the-work-of-matthew-ritche/ 

image retrieved from: 10 x 10_3 100 Architects, 10 Critics. (2009). p. 29. New York: Phaidon Press Ltd.

This project exhibits the connections between music, cosmology, architecture and art. The space is used to host performances by various composers and musicians. It is constructed from epoxy-coated aluminium units that are modular, stackable and transportable for future exhibitions at various sites. I think this is a really interesting and dynamic sound and visual composition, which is what ultimately encourages people to engage with it.

2. eco boulevard. [ecosistema urbano]

"the Eco-boulevard competition is organized with two objectives: one of a social nature, aimed to generate activity, and one of an environmental nature, the bioclimatic adaptation of an outdoor space." 

(quote from ArchDaily article)

images retrieved from: http://www.archdaily.com/6303/eco-boulevard-in-vallecas-ecosistema-urbano/

This project involves a collection of cylindrical towers containing vertical gardens in a barren district in Madrid. They operate as public spaces for residents in the area, and are also fitted with photo-voltaic panels to capture solar energy. I think this is a really effective 'activator of space' because the structure functions as both an environmental statement and urban icon that helps establish the identity for inhabitants of the district.

3. souffle. [holdup architecture & art direction]

"after making her/himself comfortable, the intruder shortly notices that any single vibration triggers an interaction with the structure. If fancied, she/he is given the chance to take control of the atmospheric elements projected on the ceiling." (quote from http://www.holduparchitecture.com/#souffle)

images retrieved from: http://www.archdaily.com/152921/souffle-holdup/

From an outside perspective, this structure looks relatively uninviting, austere and alien-like. It is imbalanced and thus instigates a strange and uncomfortable atmosphere. The interior environment, however, is far less hostile. Users must first remove their footwear before entering the intimate and welcoming space. Inside, their is a suspended microphone that detects any movement and translates it to projected images on the ceiling of the structure. I think this is a really successful project because of the interesting contrast between the interior and exterior environments which is surprising to the user, and the interactive experience it allows, where users can explore the relationships between sound and image.

4. le mur du mou. [yok yok architects]

"Distorting mirrors enter a shape of undisciplined echo with the world which surrounds it. We meet a different space, one itself unexpected, and the other strange and funny there ...The deformation changes our perceptions and brings to a new, alive and done wonders for the self-confidence visual experience." 

(quote from Festival des Architectures Vives 2011 Info Pamphlet)

images retrieved from: Festival des Architectures Vives info pamphlet 2011 6th ed

This is more of an art installation than architecture, however the concept behind the project is really clever and interactive. The mirrors reflect distorted images of the user, as well as the surrounding architecture/environment. It creates a warped world where users can explore different perspectives and perceptions.

what is learning?

site analysis & observations.

view of the site from the CityCat

walking along the riverfront path towards the site

Howard Smith Wharves 

Site Observations:

- subject to flooding

- industrial aesthetic & expressed structure

- currently barren and lifeless

- constructed in the 1930s with the Story Bridge

- rare physical evidence of pre-1940 Port of Brisbane facilities

- area requires re-development to be more user-friendly and inviting

- remaining infrastructure should be adapted to be more beneficial to the wider community

what is a folie?

project briefing.