Wish Fulfillment: 10 Fantastic Follies That Fuse the Familiar With the Fanciful

In his book Architecture Depends, Jeremy Till argues that “all architecture is building waste in transit.” He believes that architecture’s contingency is an opportunity rather than a weakness, encouraging architects to consider the element of time in the production, inhabitation, and reuse of buildings. One example might be inflatable architecture, popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, which used quick and cheap techniques to adapt to shifting social conditions. Today, these fast and efficient construction methods are ideal for short-term occupation and alteration of public space.

Of course, inflatables are just one exploration of temporality. Here are several follies that were constructed (quite artfully so) for one purpose, but quickly took on another. In other words, the construction of these 10 follies adheres to Till’s logic, embracing the restraints of time and contingency.

Belly of the Beast by Burn Ritani, Matakana, New Zealand

Like many of its architectural postmodern contemporaries, Belly of the Beast gestures toward many reference points instead of a single meaning. This structure is both a sculpture and architecture, a duality that calls into question the static relationship between object, meaning, and audience. The inhabitants actively transform the purpose of a structure.

#MIMMIby Urbain DRC, Minneapolis, Minn.

The Minneapolis Interactive Macro-Mood Installation, MIMMI for short, connects both virtual and physical layers of the community while serving as a new model for gatherings in public urban spaces. This project embraces the opportunity to explore the ever-exacerbated relationship between physical and online presence.

Secret Operation 610 by Studio Frank Havermans and RAAAF, Soesterburg, The Netherlands

This artwork revives the mysterious atmosphere of the Cold War when the metal gates of the aircraft shelter 610 open, and the mobile sculpture slowly glides out. The black behemoth and aircraft shelter work together to provide two functions: by virtue of the metal giant’s constantly changing position, it allows visitors to experience the area and history of the military base in new ways; and it operates as working environment for research, experimentation, and innovation for researchers.

Self-Ornamentalize by VINN PATARARIN X FAHPAV, Chiang Mai, Thailand

This multidisciplinary installation explores a curiosity for suburban culture in the postmodern era with local crafts. Vinn Chokkhatiwat (architect and designer) and Patararin Pongprasit (fashion designer) realized that plastic had become a part of the true local materials of the present day and chose plastic bottles as the primary material of construction for ‘Self-Ornamentalize.’

Oslo Medieval Park Exhibitionby MMW Architects, Oslo, Norway

This exhibition design at Oslo Central Station pre-cycles “the use of the materials before the intended use” to display three proposed projects for the future plans of Medieval Park: 85 concrete railroad sleepers form log-cabin-esque walls, on which the exhibition’s printed aluminum boards are attached.

The SOL Dome by Loop.pH, Michigan City, Ind.

The SOL Dome was fabricated in just three days onsite at the Fall In…Art and Sol celebration of art, culture, and science. Made from thousands of individually woven circles of composite fabric, this new type of architecture responds and adapts to its environment with a responsive circular matrix of solar-powered LED floodlights.

The Velvet State by SHJworks, Roskilde, Denmark

This project, à la Norman Bel Geddes, combines theater and architecture by engaging performers and architects in an ongoing dialogue created in one united structure that frames the performance.

BOULEvardby ONOFF, Brussels, Belgium

The BOULEvard ball was constructed based on the principles of Buckminster Fuller, specifically tensegrity. In a series of workshops, locals constructed the rolling playgrounds in unexpected places on the street of Brussels for the 2014 Kanal Playground Festival.

Pavillon Spéciale by Ball-Nogues Studio, Paris, France

This installation was designed and built by the students of Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture for the ‘Pavillon Spéciale’ program of temporary structures by emerging architects and designers. The structure is composed of 200 modularized ‘cells’ that can be transported as a flat unit, rapidly assembled on location, and easily dismantled and transported to a new location.

The Rope Factory by icecream architecture,

The Rope Factory is a three-day installation that utilizes 71 different rope colors to represent the 71 teams in the multi-sport 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland. This interactive piece literally maps all of the countries of Commonwealth strung throughout the street as a large climbing net.