PARERGON

FOLLY ART, NORG

Whether or not ornaments still have a role in today’s stripped, clean, modern architecture is still debated; in practice however, Adolf Loos words still ring true. Perhaps motivated by the cost of traditional craftsmanship, dictated by budgets and efficiency, or limited by the catalog of available products, most newly constructed facades are soberly designed. However, the technical detail still possesses certain ornamental qualities. Where products meet, craftsmanship is still required, and when done with care, the technical detail can be elevated to ornamental aesthetics, revealing its role as structural component at the surface.

For the FollyArtNorg competition we designed a small, compact tower, in which we carefully curated the technical details. From afar, the folly evokes a sense of excitement with its heavy dry laid brick top, and its light, transparent bottom part. Up close, it reveals its inner tension through the technical ornaments. Paper clips connected to thin metal wire carry the bricks, resulting in an airy brick dress hanging below. The wires go through the interior to the top of the tower, where they connect to a chandelier, which simultaneously holds the ends of the metal wire that pulls the dry laid brick down on its wooden frame. Pressure and tension in a state of equilibrium.