2009 Shigeru Ban: Paper Tower

For 2009's Size + Matter installation, Shigeru Ban worked with cardboard manufacturer Sonoco to create a 22m high cone-shaped structure out of compressed cardboard tubing on London's Southbank.

Cardboard can have structural strength and this installation shows what can be achieved. It was possible to stand inside and look out through the structure as the tubes narrow to a single cone. The installation was part of the Size + Matter project.

Shigeru Ban is an architect based in Tokyo and Paris. He is best known for his disaster relief projects - in particular the cheap immediate housing made from paper and card which can be used in earthquake situations.

Made from cardboard tubes, the tower was articulated by metal joints, a system similar in design to the system used by Ban in his construction of a bridge, a boathouse and various pavilions around the world. Sponsored by Sonoco, a global supplier of industrial and consumer packaging, the structure was become the tallest paper tower in the world.