Shigeru Ban - Materiality of Paper

Materiality of Paper

Ban’s experimental development of paper tubing structures came in 1986 before the question of any his programmatic commissions. He found paper’s structural integrity to be much better than expected and it is also available all around the world. They are most commonly available from manufacturers providing paper tubes for use in textile factories, as in the case with the disaster relief shelters project in Ahmedabad, India. pg29

Limited material availability during times of disaster relief reconstruction is a major concern and involves increased market prices. Paper tubing on the other hand, not being a typical building material, is comparatively inexpensive and very accessible. In a special case during in Turkey in 1999, Ban was able to get paper tubing for free. Another positive argument for paper tubing was found in the case of the Rwanda refugee crisis in 1994. There were problems finding an alternative construction material to wood, as the use of trees for framing led to deforestation problems. The UN supplemented wood with aluminum piping but this was very expensive and in the end the refugees sold off the aluminum for money. They then reverted to cutting trees for building materials. Therefore paper tubing used for framing benefited the construction of emergency shelters in various ways. pg30

In 1994, a magnitude 7.2 Richter scale earthquake devastated Kobe Japan, which intern offered a unique reconstruction project to Ban. pg173 Not only are the temporary shelters very cheap and easy to develop as they incorporate community participation, but they offer more versatile living conditions compared to traditionally used tents. The 172 square ft modules have paper tubing for walls with small gaps between each member allowing for ventilation and can also be taped up to insulate. pg174 The roof was made up of a waterproof tenting material while the foundation consisted of donated beer crates filled with sandbags. pg107

Ban’s interest in using existing materials aligned with his minimalist ideology. There was never a question of manufacturing a different paper material as current technologies such as waterproofing films, polyurethane and acrylic paints can be used to improve its material properties. pg31 In the design of ‘The Paper Dome’ in 1998, paper as an innovative building material had to meet the rigorous construction codes, so a great deal of structural engineering data was submitted to the government. In this project straight paper tube joists were connected by laminated timber joints which are independently expensive but coupled with the paper tubing made for an inexpensive comprehensive budget. pg32 In addition, the 6’ paper tubes were waterproofed with liquid urethane to minimize expansion and contraction due to humidity variances found in Osaka-Cho Japan. pg93

In the case of another project in Hannover Germany, the Japanese Pavilion constructed for Expo 2000 also used paper tubing but at much longer dimensions of 67’ with 4¾” diameters, at a less than 1” thickness. It was also waterproofed both inside and out by a coating of polyurethane satisfying extreme weather conditions and fire protection tests. Surprisingly the paper tubes are very difficult to burn due to its high density. Expo 2000 incorporated a very environmentally aware theme which influenced Ban’s design to allow for full recyclability of the Japanese Pavilion. Mechanical joinery was substituted by means of fabric tape which allowed for complicated movement and also naturally post tensioned the structure. pg32 The main tunnel of the pavilion was designed as an incredibly large space, at 242’ long, 82’ wide and 52’ high. pg135 The fabric tape was used with a buckle system which allowed for manual construction and dismantlement. Due to the strict building codes in Germany and the unconventional use of paper as a revolutionary building material, the Japanese Pavilion had to be over designed and incorporate wooden elements to become more of a hybrid structure. As an innovative addition to the design, Ban substituted the use of a concrete foundation with wooden boxes filled with sand to continue with the recyclable theme. pg33