journal madness....the result

So as previously mentioned, I went a bit mad collecting journal articles on Friday. I finally managed to read them all and there was some interesting points raised within a couple that I want to share with you...

The two articles I found of particular interest were 'Here today, gone tomorrow' Henrietta Thompson (Design Week 31.07.08) and 'Comment' Jes Fernie (Blueprint October 2008). What is interesting is that both articles were written within four months of each other which resulted in several temporary structures being discussed in both articles. Within the 'Here today, gone tomorrow' article, Thompson discusses how temporary structures are slowly transforming our cities and states there are many reasons for this:

"Its easier, for one reason. Easier to get planning consent, easier to build and there's no need to worry about the neighbours and the surrounding context much either. It also provides much needed space to experiment: new technologies, advances in materials and modern construction methods mean that today architecture no longer needs to be static, dependable, solid or even permanent."

I am inclined to agree with her statement, as it has been evident that many companies are turning to the temporary structure to increase brand awareness and create a sense of excitement around the brand. Temporary structures have allowed brands to take risks and experiment, which they weren't able to do with the permanent store. The temporary structure also allows brands to reach customers and ares unfamiliar with the product: this is something that is important within my own design. By sending the pavilions to towns and cities around the country, a maximum amount of exposure can be generated.

The article 'Comment' by Jes Fernie discusses the practicalities of temporary structures and whether they currently go far enough to challenge beliefs and ideals. An interesting statement from the article has caused me to think about the nature of my temporary installation:

"These structures quite clearly enliven our streets and create extraordinary opportunities for artists and architects to play a part in shaping our public realm, (however) more subversion, dirt and dissonance needs to bred into these structures; we need more public realm equivalents of Velvet Underground's Venus in Furs."

Temporary structures are now being used as a tool to engage, involve and challenge the public, which is what I am hoping to achieve within my design project. However after reading this article I can't help but think that perhaps my design need to be more controversial in it direction and the message it is giving out to the public realm.