Learning from the original custodians of the land, the Darug and Darkinjung people, the pavilion, Ephemerality, seeks to embrace the seasonal flood, rather to fight it.

The project revolves around the concept of embracing the seasonal floods of the area, and is built on top of a landslide within the Governor Phillip Park, created by the 2022 July NSW floods. The pavilion itself aims to sit within the natural environment, as cascading platforms are casted into the shape of the landslide, maintaining the shape and story, but also allowing a minimal use of building materials.

Concrete was chosen for the flooring material, where a gradient of recycled brick material mixed in, to create a terrazzo like effect. The roofing structure is intended to be an FPR (Fibre reinforced polymer) material, with the shape of the two modules casted by the dome shaped landslide hole. This pavilion system allows for usage during non-flood seasons however cooperates with rising water levels during heavy floods.

A cascading set of platforms is casted into the hole, and a stream of stairs in between each platform, providing a descend towards the waterbed. The layers of seating follow the topographic contour of the landslide, preserving its original shape and story, but also allowing a minimal use of building materials. Parts of the topography is exaggerated to create a bigger surface for a coffee stand and also an interior space for a public bathroom. Here people can lounge, read and access amenities whilst appreciating the ephemeral nature of the landscape, where constantly changing water levels are indicated through the rising between lower steps. Vegetation is also introduced which is spread along the waterline in order to reinforce the soil during flood conditions.

The intensive nature of the development of this course was over a 5 day period from conceptualisation to development of plan, section and visualisation. As a result of this, I was effectively able to compartmentalise and collaborate the work between myself and two additional group members in order to effectively produce the architectural scheme. The nature of the studio itself pushed our understanding and limitations of the design process, as we took inspiration from unconventional and avant-garde works within the architectural sphere such as Anne Haltrop’s stone structures. Overall, this success of this project was indicative of the intensive drafting, ideation and development under an extreme time pressure.