FOLIE JUSTIFICATION

The Archi-Folie Design Proposal offers a unique experience for those who may stumble upon its existence. The location of the Folie, the Howard Smith Wharves at New Farm is a unique, yet often forgotten about, place. Amongst its busy urban surroundings, this site sits contrastingly in their midst. The Howard Smith Wharves are nestled into a bend in the Brisbane River beneath the Story Bridge.

The Howard Smith Wharves are the calm in the middle of a bustling city. It is a place where man-made structures meet nature. It is a connecting element between the bridge, the river and the valley. This site of connectivity offers a unique encounter within the urban environment. What can be found here is history, natural scenery and captivating structures.

The Folie that I have designed encapsulates these elements. The purpose of my Folie is to evoke an appreciation of the uniqueness of the site within its urban context. The inspiration for the form was primarily taken from the Story Bridge. At first, one may be overwhelmed by the chaos and randomness of the bridges’ form and activity. However, when one seeks the time to linger and appreciate the structure they may find inspiration in its presence.

From the chaos, stems a random order where a rhythm emerges and a pattern becomes more apparent. The truss system of the bridge clarifies and an understanding occurs. The bridge filters light through its body and shadows stretch across the ground below. My aim in designing this Folie was to bring the beauty from above, to the site, so that they may be reminded of its magnificence.

The Folie captures these special moments and is reminiscent of its form. Made from triangular 'truss' shapes, these structures are angled to create a sense of randomness, whereby on closer inspection, these are arranged within an array of identical trusses. As the pattern becomes more apparent, it is clarified through the horizontal repetition of the trusses which create a seating area for pedestrians to rest, eat or read. Like the site, the Folie is a refuge from the busy city life. As well as providing an open viewing station of the Story Bridge, the Folie can also be viewed from the structure itself, creating a stimulating form for bridge-goers to admire. At night the Folie becomes a spectacle, lighting up its surroundings and activating the site after dusk. This also serves a functional purpose in creating a safer, more illuminated pathway to walk through at night.

As the Folie is experienced, the layers of the story unfold. The beauty is not only found in its structural form but also in the shadowy patterns that it creates. Interesting shapes sprawl over the ground around you whilst sitting underneath its rigid structure, both from the Folie and from the Story Bridge. The Folie is an exposed structure and is open to the elements and nature. Through this activation of the Howard Smith Wharves site with the Folie design, this location may become a destination, rather than a random encounter.