DAY THREE!!

DAY Three… Constant connection.

Today has been a big day. But we have something to show for it!

The day started out with the boys heading off bright and early to pick up our steel armature! This was going to be our main structure so it was important that we got it under way as soon as possible! After arriving on site and making a firm plan of the day ahead we were waved at from our lovely looking cement mixer!

We sprung into action, shoveling and filling the garbage bags that would form our foundation for our steel columns… It was excitement all around as we began to see our creation take form!

As the steel was secured we knew that we had a 12 hour wait until the cement would be rock hard, so we began to further discuss how our structure would take form and what it would say when complete.

The issues we are working with are:

Urban ecological systems invading the polished, pristine Docklands environment. A revolt against the sterility…!

Docklands lacks a lot of the character that ports of a similar age and history possess. Essentially due to decisions in urban development where developers were given a blank slate, a tabula rasa. The current state neglects the finer grain….the grittiness that should reflect the past uses and contribute to the story of the place.

Engagement with the site is restricted to the visual. There is little recognition of the natural systems and complex adaptive ecologies at work, still reflecting historical environmental attitudes that favour the passive, scenic background captured in quotes such as this from Martin Prominski.

Virtual link transplanting existing Docklands wharf piles on to land. Thus dissolving the amphibious grid from water to land.

We’ve observed that even the sloping piece of manicured turf that our site rests upon is a cultural construct, the dock waters penetrating far below us, leaving us deprived of an authentic terra firma. Repetition of what lies below. Our site is artificially suspended, which we have repeated with our own artificial suspension.

As a group we have constantly been aware of the connection to the site and also each other. We have fully constructed our design on site, eaten on site, slept on site (but not really) allowing the site to dictate our moves throughout the day and also our progress. We have spent nearly every waking hour of every day together and our project could not have come to fruition without the encouragement and enthusiasm of everyone.

Hopefully the next 16 hours go to plan…