Week 3 - Visiting The Site

The aim of the site visit was to obtain a sense and feel of the place and make some general observations regarding how local people use the space. The route that was taken to reach Howard Smith Wharves was along Elizabeth Street and then along Eagle Street. From there the Eagle Street pier leads a direct route to Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves is in direct visibility.

The following photos were taken along Eagle Street and Eagle Street Pier. 

Image 1

 Image 1: This was captured in a courtyard of one of the office buildings along Eagle Street. 

Image 2

 Image 2: The photo is captured from within an office building on Eagle Street. The visibility of Story Bridge is delightfully panoramic, one can see how it crosses the entire river. 

Image 3

 Image 3: Walking along the pier, this photo was taken to capitulate the impressive scale of the bridge.

Image 4

Image 4: The trusses of the bridge draws one's focus in an upward direction. 




Observations
The site visit was conducted from 11:45am to around 12:45pm. Most of the people walking about were people who had a 9am-5pm office job and were on their lunch break. Along Eagle Street there seems to be a really "rushed" vibe, people were walking fairly quickly to and from their destination. 

Another demographic group identified were people who were exercising, mostly joggers and cyclists on the pier.

After the lunch time rush, there doesn't seem to be as many people along the pier but a constant observation was that due to the impressive scale of the Story Bridge, the visibility of it can be seen from most of the places that were observed from.

Constraints
There are many different routes to use to access the site, unfortunately the route chosen limited the accessibility along Howard Smith Wharves. Better visibility or alternate perceptions would have been observed from using the CityCat Ferry or walking along Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

Construction was currently going on so there was a physical restraint to the site. 


Opportunities
A mindset that day was that whatever is to be designed must draw people's attention to the bridge. To take advantage of the bridge somehow as in it's monstrous scale can be seen from so many different places would help draw attention to the Folie.


The bridge currently used as a thoroughfare can be used to draw people to the Folie, or perhaps bring multiple uses to the bridge.