Project One: Exemplars and Ideas

To come up with our design we first brainstormed ideas on what our folie could teach people. I also researched exemplar folies to inspire me.

The first idea that the grouped explored was a space that taught people about sustainability. We researched ideas such as community gardens, solar energy systems and also wind power.

Exemplars I found in this subject matter are the PhotoBioReactor by BIOS and Deedee Morrison’s sculptures that use photovoltaic’s to produce light.

I like the natural form of the PhotoBioReactor and admire how it is both functional and aesthetic. 

Deedee Morrison’s sculptures are (mostly) aesthetically pleasing and stand out dominantly in their surroundings making them attractions.  The use of photovoltaic’s is a smart and simple way to produce energy and by using these it teaches people that clean energy is simple and easy.

Another interesting idea we had was the use of sound. We looked at exemplars that utilised natural wind to create sound and man-made sound.

This example of the Wind Pavilion uses the wind to flow through tubes to create sound, altering with different speeds and directions teaching viewers about sound and wind. With the very short time period for the project however, creating something this complex would not be feasible.  

The Souffle folie by Hold Up Architecture in France is a very cool example of man-made sound.  It converts vibrations into a visual representation projected onto the roof. 

Interactive spaces were something that we were really interested in. Volkswagon’s Fun Theory experiments were something that I particularly appreciate so we considered doing something interactive and fun like the piano stairs for our folie. However, we were trying to create a destination with our folie, not a transition space so something similar to this would not have been successful.

Adaptability was another option our group explored. We investigated things that would be user interactive with possibilities for multi-functions/purposes. The Prada Transformer acting as a fusion of architecture, art, film and fashion is an excellent example of this. It acts as a rotatable structure, with each side of the form acting as a space for a different function, e.g. a cinema area, a catwalk etc. Unfortunately, we determined that the maximum space of the folie (5mx5mx5m) was too small to allow for anything similar to this.

Form wise, I really like the stacked look of the Digital Origami Emergency Shelter. I like how all the layers add up to form the overall shape, perhaps we could use something like this in our final design.


The Jinhua Architecture Park was also something that took my interest when researching exemplar follies. The seventeen pavilions are aesthetically appealing and a designed in memoriam to the poet Ai Qing. I thought these were all interesting forms that influenced visitors and the way they use the pavilions. 

The next idea of learning that we investigated was perspectives and perception, or ‘things may not appear to be what they seem’. We looked at using metaphors, optical illusions and scales etc to create a fun based folie. I found an exemplar which I felt physically represented this well, The Impossible Statue in Belgium is an optical illusion that appears to be different shapes from different angles, only appearing as the illusion from one angle or perspective.