FAUP III - Recreating a model of a Shigeru Ban's building
- Architects: Shigeru Ban
- Location: Sizuoka, Japan
- Year project: 1999
- Type: Academic project (2018/2019)
- Program: Museum
- Location: Sizuoka, Japan
- Year project: 1999
- Type: Academic project (2018/2019)
- Program: Museum
- Team:
Diogo Miguel
Eva Sendas
Júlia Coutinho
Mathieu Joseph
Milène Masson
For the third-year Construction course at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, we were assigned the task of recreating a built project. In search of something unconventional, my team chose to construct two models: one at a 1:50 scale and another at a 1:100 scale, of the Nemunoki Children's Art Museum by architect Shigeru Ban.
The standout feature of the building is its roof structure, which sets it apart from other constructions. The triangular modules that form the roof follow a hierarchy, starting from the 30-meter perimeter of the building down to the smallest structural unit, which measures 1 meter. These modules are supported by 15 tubular metal columns and connected by three types of joints: hexagonal, triangular, and simple. This honeycomb-like structure is not only functional and structural, but also aesthetic, and it could only have been realized due to the unconventional material used in its construction—cardboard. The grid of beams consists of vertical cardboard panels, each 50 cm in height. At the top of these beams, a layer of PVC is applied for waterproofing, while still allowing natural light to filter through.
“I envisioned a roof that could incorporate natural light across its entire surface, for a museum that uses paper, a material familiar to children.” – Shigeru Ban
