rick chen's fragile receives first place in viewpoint at pulpit rock comp.

rick chen’s fragile receives first place in viewpoint at pulpit rock comp. 
all images courtesy of rick chen

australian architect rick chen tied for first-prize in the ‘viewpoint at pulpit rock’ competition hosted by reTHINKing architecture. the contest called for creative takes on preikestolen, a popular outlook and resting area 600 meters above the lysefjorden fjord in south-west norway. the brief focuses on three points — nature, limit, and scale — all of which are achieved in chen’s proposal ‘fragile’.

design concept 

‘fragile’ contemplates the typical physical and mental experience of individuals towards nature. in the era of created space, nature has become a passive item that serves as a backdrop for an endless barrage of photos, many of which end up online before people even leave the scene. ‘fragile’ is a place where comfort is removed, forcing viewers to stand in solitude and absorb what they are seeing. the concept calls for the installation of trickling water pipes that would freeze all of the outlook except a small, narrow path. those wishing to reach the edge must tread carefully, or risk slipping to certain death. 

looking over the edge 

research and design process

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom