A FOLLY FOR LONDON

Result

View entries...

Overview

In celebration of great British satire, this competition is an opportunity to propose an alternative but equally ridiculous project for the public space being lost to the proposed Garden Bridge on London’s South Bank.

Description
In the vein of the great history of British satire we announce a free-to-enter and totally open ideas competition for A FOLLY FOR LONDON, alternative and equally absurd designs for the public space being sacrificed for the proposed Garden Bridge.
To be as accessible as possible the brief for the competition is very short and the format for entering is simple. This is about creative responses and thinking about the city rather than jumping through hoops and following strict rules.
Think about the best piece of transport infrastructure and design on which you could spend £60m of public money for the environmental and community benefit of London. Then reverse those ideals and design your perfect Folly For London.
Your design should seek to fulfil as many of the following criteria as possible:
- Cost at least £60million of public money to construct; proposals may cost much more, but if so be sure to add vague promises of private funding.
- Take up as much of the site (marked in red) as possible. This is existing public greenspace and it needs to be built on. Your design should narrow the Thames footpath resulting in maximum overcrowding and removing as much existing nature from the site. There are mature trees here, but don’t worry about them – feel free to remove them.
- Largely use environmentally damaging and unsustainable materials in its construction, and the best Folly to have the pretence of being a ‘green’ project will be eligible for a special ‘greenwash’ prize.
- Obstruct as many free and accessible views as possible from the South Bank and Waterloo Bridge. Think about those wonderful vantages of St. Pauls and Somerset House. Now block them!
- Your Folly should aim to maximise commercial land values and raise house prices in the immediate vicinity.

Jury
Judging panel, including architectural writer & critic Owen Hatherley and leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett

Prize
Publication

Entry Fee
None

Entries
Two sheets of A4 or A3 paper in any style you want to work with – sketching, watercolour, computer render, CAD drawing, montage, photographs of a model or any other process
A description of your design in up to 250 words

Submission Address
Will Jennings
BM BOX 5837
LONDON
WC1N 3XX

Timetable
Judging: September 2015

Organizer
A Folly For London

Official Website