Folly (Architectural)

[+flipflopnick]

This may have been suggested before but not found, even in read-only old forums.

 

Follies or Folly are whimsical structures built to show the affluence of the owner. They are not a critics opinion of an architect's latest creation.

On this island (UK) we have many follies built during Victorian age but they are not abundant. You still have to find them. Follies appear all around the world.

 

If you do not understand what is meant by "folly" I will try to explain.

When a land owner has surplus wealth or an idle work force he might create work by erecting a feature which had no useful purpose, purely decorative.

 

Here is Wikipedia's take on folly.

 

Some follies already posted from around the world. Lacy's Caves Sugarloaf folly

 

Exclusions would be places where someone famous lived which have folly in the name. Important that no useful purpose be found. If someone lived there, clearly there is a use. Proof of the folly's veracity would have to be shown by the poster. Quote some text, or link to a good explanation elsewhere.

Being called folly is not good enough i.e. an image of the name would not be proof. Prove why the subject is considered a folly to get your posting approved.

All the usual conditions would apply. Accurate coordinates taken with hand help GPS at the the folly, good photographs taken by yourself.

[+flipflopnick]

Group to join. Ever hopeful. Foolish Builders

[+lumbricus]

I can remember that we had an old threat where someone asked where he could post something which looked like this structure..

We came to the result that there is no category for.

But I think it could be difficult to write a description that everyone knows what we are looking for.

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

It seems that the definition of a folly will be in the mind of the builder ...

[+silverquill]

Not a bad idea, although I think there aren't so many of these. Maybe enough for a category. Do you want to include "Junk Houses?" I think writing a good definition of a "Folly" may be difficult. Some structures are odd (we have the Odd Buildings category) or eccentric in some way, but are functional. Do you want to include both building and other objects? This makes the problem more difficult. But, I still think it is an idea worth pursuing.

[+UMainah]

This reminded me of something I read on cracked.com the other day.

Would Spomenik's (translates literally to monument) fit in this potential category? These things are located in former Yugoslavia and were constructed after WWII. I think their only purpose was for intimidation/propaganda purposes. They'd probably be accepted in the Abstract Public Scuptures category also. These structures are huge though. It's too bad my chances of seeing these are pretty much zero.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2013 by UMainah

[+UMainah]

Here are some more(there are others that exist also):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

Bizarre -- and isn't it folly to expect the people's loyalty while denying them their rights???

[+BruceS]

What was called a folly before we call abstract art today

[+Ianatlarge]

Very cool.

[+flipflopnick]

The above are abstract art as they enlighten the spirit, whereas a folly in usually older, looks like it might be useful but might not be used for the its original purpose.

Modern follies are still being erected. But their naming is subjective in the eye of the beholder.

Perhaps introduce an age restriction, over 50 years old.

Wikipedia summarises

In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs. In the original use of the word, these buildings had no other use, but from the 19th to 20th centuries the term was also applied to highly decorative buildings which had secondary practical functions such as housing, sheltering or business use.

Ornamental

without purpose

of no use

over 50 years old

Tricky to define, your help much appreciated.

[+flipflopnick]

Have Turned Open Enrollment Off until category has passed peer review. You will have to contact through profile to join group until then. After category is extant, will Turn Open Enrollment On.

[Bon Echo]

Some very interesting buildings, I like them and think they certainly have that "wow factor" for the category. But I wonder is there enough qualifying sites out there (sorry to say I am a skeptic about some of the buildings in the photos, I wonder if they are real or just Photoshop-ed)

[+fi67]

Those Spomeniks look very cool, but they do not qualify as follies in my opinion. They are monuments, often war monuments, that is contradictory to the playful non-purpose definition of follies.