Architecture

Shigeru Ban's cardboard and bamboo shelters highlighted in new exhibit

Shigeru Ban's cardboard and bamboo shelters highlighted in new exhibit
The inventive work of Shigeru Ban exhibition is running at SCAF until July 1, 2017
The inventive work of Shigeru Ban exhibition is running at SCAF until July 1, 2017
View 27 Images
This model by Shigeru Ban was designed for survivors of a serious earthquake in Ecuador, 2016
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This model by Shigeru Ban was designed for survivors of a serious earthquake in Ecuador, 2016
The shelter by Shigeru Ban measures 380 x 525 x 328.5 cm (149 x 206 x 129 in)
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The shelter by Shigeru Ban measures 380 x 525 x 328.5 cm (149 x 206 x 129 in)
The shelter by Shigeru Ban consists of beer crate and sandbag foundations, tarpaulin, bamboo cladding and sheeting
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The shelter by Shigeru Ban consists of beer crate and sandbag foundations, tarpaulin, bamboo cladding and sheeting
Owing to similar tropical climates of the Ecuadorian coast and the Philippines, this shelter is based on one of Shigeru Ban's previous designs for the latter
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Owing to similar tropical climates of the Ecuadorian coast and the Philippines,  this shelter is based on one of Shigeru Ban's previous designs for the latter
The shelter by Shigeru Ban features operable windows
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The shelter by Shigeru Ban features operable windows
"...I thought perhaps we can use our experience and knowledge more for the general public, even for those who have lost their houses in natural disasters," says Ban
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"...I thought perhaps we can use our experience and knowledge more for the general public, even for those who have lost their houses in natural disasters," says Ban
This earlier shelter dates all the way back to 1995 and was one of Shigeru Ban's earliest emergency shelter designs
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This earlier shelter dates all the way back to 1995 and was one of Shigeru Ban's earliest emergency shelter designs
The shelter by Shigeru Ban was conceived following a terrible earthquake in Kobe, Japan, also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake
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The shelter by Shigeru Ban  was conceived following  a terrible earthquake in Kobe, Japan, also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake
The inventive work of Shigeru Ban exhibition is running at SCAF until July 1, 2017
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The inventive work of Shigeru Ban exhibition is running at SCAF until July 1, 2017
Highlighting Shigeru Ban's flair for using cheap and readily-available materials, the foundations consist of donated beer crates loaded with sandbags
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Highlighting Shigeru Ban's flair for using cheap and readily-available materials, the foundations consist of donated beer crates loaded with sandbags
The walls of this early work by Shigeru Ban comprise diameter paper tubes and fabric tenting material was used on the roof
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The walls of this early work by Shigeru Ban comprise diameter paper tubes and fabric tenting material was used on the roof
Insulation for this shelter by Shigeru Ban comes in the form of a waterproof sponge that's pushed in between the paper tubes
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Insulation for this shelter by Shigeru Ban comes in the form of a waterproof sponge that's pushed in between the paper tubes
The shelter by Shigeru Ban measures 351.5 x 461.2 x 461.2 cm (138 x 181 x 181 in) and costs around US$2,000 to make
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The shelter by Shigeru Ban measures 351.5 x 461.2 x 461.2 cm (138 x 181 x 181 in) and costs around US$2,000 to make
Inside the Ecuador shelter by Shigeru Ban
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Inside the Ecuador shelter by Shigeru Ban 
An example of the way Shigeru Ban's innovative shelters are joined together
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An example of the way Shigeru Ban's innovative shelters are joined together
An example of the way Shigeru Ban's innovative shelters are joined together
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An example of the way Shigeru Ban's innovative shelters are joined together
One of Shigeru Ban's construction components
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One of Shigeru Ban's construction components
This photo clearly shows the shelter by Shigeru Ban sat atop a foundation of beer crates and sandbags
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This photo clearly shows the shelter by Shigeru Ban sat atop a foundation of beer crates and sandbags
Examples of Shigeru Ban's connecting joints
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Examples of Shigeru Ban's connecting joints
Examples of Shigeru Ban's connecting joints
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Examples of Shigeru Ban's connecting joints
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's cardboard Christchurch Cathedral
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
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A scale model of Shigeru Ban's pavilion for Expo 2000
View gallery - 27 images

Japan's Shigeru Ban is a bone-fide starchitect best known for using his considerable talents to design temporary low-cost emergency housing using materials like beer crates and cardboard tubes. Two of his innovative shelters, plus other works, are currently on display in Sydney's Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) art gallery.

The exhibit, named The inventive work of Shigeru Ban, is the Pritzker Prize-winning architect's first project in Australia and includes a scale model of his Christchurch cathedral built using cardboard, the pavilion he built for Japan during Expo 2000, and two full-scale emergency shelters.

"Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power," explains Ban in a press release. "Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their power and money by making monumental architecture. I love to make monuments, too, but I thought perhaps we can use our experience and knowledge more for the general public, even for those who have lost their houses in natural disasters."

The walls of this early work by Shigeru Ban comprise diameter paper tubes and fabric tenting material was used on the roof
The walls of this early work by Shigeru Ban comprise diameter paper tubes and fabric tenting material was used on the roof

This shelter dates back to 1995 and was one of Ban's earliest emergency housing designs. It was conceived following a very destructive earthquake in Kobe, Japan, also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake.

Highlighting the architect's flair for using cheap and readily-available materials, the foundations consist of donated beer crates loaded with sandbags.The walls comprise cardboard tubes and fabric tenting material was used on the roof. Insulation comes in the form of waterproof sponge pushed between the paper tubes.

The shelter measures 351.5 x 461.2 x 461.2 cm (138 x 181 x 181 in) and costs around US$2,000 to build. It can be easily dismantled and recycled when no longer required.

This model by Shigeru Ban was designed for survivors of a serious earthquake in Ecuador, 2016
This model by Shigeru Ban was designed for survivors of a serious earthquake in Ecuador, 2016

This model was built following a severe earthquake in Ecuador, in 2016, that resulted in many deaths and even more displaced people. Ban visited two weeks later and met with locals, inspecting their improvised shelters and the modest accommodation they had. He based the shelter's design on a previous model originally made for the Philippines, but with some upgrades and materials better suited to Ecuador.

Measuring 380 x 525 x 328.5 cm (149 x 206 x 129 in), the shelter consists of more beer crate and sandbag foundations, but is clad in bamboo, not cardboard, and sports a thatched roof. Tarpaulin, steel wire, hinges and rope were used, too. The temporary shelter also costs around $2,000 to build and can be easily recycled, and the project also involved building separate toilet units.

You can check out some of the other designs on show in the gallery, or if you'd like to check them out in person, The inventive work of Shigeru Ban is running at SCAF until July 1.

Sources: SCAF, Shigeru Ban Architects

View gallery - 27 images
3 comments
3 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think this is really nice.
Brooke
Some years ago a group out of Berkeley developed/patented a very low cost housing unit that could be shipped flat and then assembled. They later had a version from a material that looked like corrugated cardboard but was made of plastic. Both of these products did not go into production because of the non existent fire rating. While this building looks great, it too fails the fire safety test.
chase
Those are nice... a lot prettier than mine. see link below...
http://ccanade.blogspot.com/2016/02/backpack-camping-in-comfort-my-way.html
Total cost to build mine... $30. And a little ingenuity. Extremely comfortable, easy to put up as it was to take down...
No one mentioned i could win a prize for building one... If they had, I might have spruced it up a bit. Then again, maybe not. .