Shigeru Ban Architecture Study

Brief

This case study was inspired by Shigeru Ban’s paper structures, especially his modular builds using paper rolls. The sustainability of that work touched me because even temporary emergency structures can stay standing as long as they are maintained, and the material is affordable and easy to replace.

Concept

With that inspiration, I wanted to create a project about Ban’s Paper Palaces that also embodied the principles behind them. The final object became modular and multi-purpose: a poster that folds into a booklet, with tearable tabs or cards that can be removed without destroying the integrity of the larger design.

The material would be newsprint because it is affordable, accessible worldwide, and easy to recycle. The poster size is 24 by 36 inches because it is a common newsprint sheet size and can be printed in bulk from a 24-inch or 36-inch roll.

System

The booklet is printed on the opposite side of the poster, so the same sheet can shift between reading formats. Tearable cards live on the last page and are designed to work with the booklet and poster before and after removal.

I limited the ink for two reasons: less ink makes the material easier to recycle, and the thinness of newsprint makes heavy coverage more likely to ghost through from the opposite side. The system uses pure black and pure magenta, relying on shape, gestalt, and typography to create interest without heavy color saturation.

I also chose Helvetica rather than a more specialized typeface so the project could be opened, edited, and produced on many machines without requiring custom font access.

Outcome

The result is an editorial object about architecture that behaves architecturally itself: economical, modular, accessible, recyclable, and driven by material decisions.