PROJECT ONE

| THE VISUAL JOURNEY |

11 March 2011

A select few images from my exploration of the wharves.
Approaching from afar. A view to the HSW. Tucked below the bridge and nestled into the base of the cliffs the site appears to be introverted, quiet and unassuming. Dominated by the commanding and extroverted Story Bridge.
Again the structure is impressive. A collection of materials litter the site. Without which it would be stark and relatively plain. A contrast to the intricacy of the bridge. Note to how structure completely denies a connection to the river. It's almost a front line, a barricade to the water itself.

Framing the site. The arch is an impressive feature particularly from this angle. In a sense it provides a gateway to the opposite bank and the the greater landscape. It also connects the bridge both physically and mentally to the site. Grounding it to and within the landscape.

A juxtaposition of elements. Natural vs artificial. Structural vs organic. Rigid vs dynamic. Does nature provide relief from the infrastructure or does the infrastructure provide relief from nature?
Taking a different approach. The starkness of the site is particularly relevant in this view. Solid structures dominate the riparian. The is no sense of transparency. No means of connection.

| UNDERSTANDING THE SITE |

15 March 2011

In an attempt to understand the site as per its key elements the above diagrams visually represent observations and interpretations I made of the landscape. Starting with the top left-hand image and moving clockwise:
1. Sense of enclosure - introverted space
2. Geometric elements create a rigid atmosphere
3. Focused movement - a lack of appreciation for the site
4. Densely built up riparian denies connection to the river
5. Overwhelming presence - imposing to the inhabitant
6. Solidity of the existing infrastructure versus organic movement along the river

| CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT |

17 March 2011

Moving on from site analysis and beginning to translate these conditions into a design concept these are a few diagrams I've been working on in an attempt to convey the intent of my folie. Starting again in the top left-hand corner and moving clockwise:
1. Connecting observers to the greater landscape
2. Breaking the enclosure - establishing/ restoring a dialog with the river
3. Frozen movement - in response to the rivers movement - a flow of water
4. Transparency versus solidity
5. Dynamic structure to provide relief from rigidity
6. Opening out onto the riparian - breaking free

| CONCEPTUALISING THE FORM |

19 March 2011

These sketches are an attempt at articulating my interpretations of the site in such a way that the folie adds a completely new experience to the wharves. An intervention which contrasts the stark landscape, yet pays homage to its context, in this case both structural and natural elements. A form which is dynamic and fluid and has a sense of lightness or transparency.

| FORMAL RESPONSE |

23 March 2011

Images of a working model which became my final physical model and the folie inserted under the arch of the Story Bridge over the riparian. The concept upon which my final intervention was based is "Transparency. A dynamic form to restore a connection with the riparian".

| PROJECT STATEMENT |

Straddling the boundary between art and architecture is a small intervention which redefines how users interact with the riparian. The site is a static landscape; stark angles and an overwhelming sense of enclosure dominant its experience. In contrast the fluid and transparent qualities of the folly beckon the observer to explore beyond these confines. Glimpses of the structure lead passersby to a detour from their routine trajectory, connecting by-the-way inhabitants with a greater sense of openness. Not only does the folly serve as a means to pause and indeed view the greater surroundings, it also activates the curiosity of its user and provides a unique space which restores the connection to a previously neglected aspect of the site. The follies form pays homage to the immediate natural and architectural settings. Whilst structural and artificial in appearance the dynamic curves of glass and steel represent a crystallized sequence. The folly is all about movement. It responds to the context by diverging from permanence and solidity instead enhancing a sense of freedom and allowing observers a moment of contemplation. A lightness is achieved through material selection and rather than detaching from the environment its transparency creates a greater sense of connection.

| FINAL EXHIBITION PANEL |

26 March 2011