tech
February 17, 2026
Cardboard crazy! Scavenger genius Shigeru Ban on building cathedrals and quake shelters with paper
From high-end boutiques to housing in disaster zones with beer-crate foundations, the Japanese architect creates with things people throw away. What will his distillery in whisky’s holy land look like?
TL;DR
- Shigeru Ban utilizes discarded materials such as cardboard tubes, beer crates, and shipping containers in his architectural designs.
- His work spans from emergency shelters and disaster relief housing to high-end boutiques and cultural institutions.
- Ban founded the Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN), an NGO focused on developing temporary housing for disaster victims.
- Notable projects include the Paper Dome in Kobe, the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, and a distillery in Speyside, Scotland.
- Ban challenges the traditional view of architecture as monuments to wealth and power, prioritizing humanitarian needs.
- He is currently involved in reconstructing houses on Japan's Noto Peninsula, using recycled timber from a previous Osaka Expo installation.
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