Folly Hermitage

2014

Entry for the Folly design competition issued by Stichting Landgoed Fraeylemaborg, Slochteren (NL).

Folly Hermitage explores the dual meaning of its name: a hermit’s secluded dwelling and a museum for art. Its closed, mysterious exterior contrasts with an accessible interior conceived as an exhibition space.

Three angular volumes lean towards one another, appearing to share their balance. Raised on slender legs that recall furniture, the structure seems suspended in motion, with one volume lifting its feet off the ground. Its geometric form contrasts sharply with the surrounding landscape garden.

Inside, the interconnected volumes reveal a different world. Sloping walls and floors create an intimate setting for art, while rooflights bring in daylight and provide the only visual connection to the outside.

A hermitage may have stood in the garden around 1843, although this remains unconfirmed. This proposal reimagines that possibility within Fraeylemaborg’s English landscape garden.