NOISE// 25 YEARS of

on to the next//

If you were expecting to read about origami, I have to disappoint you right from the start. There are no paper buildings to be found here. Paper architecture refers to the kind of architecture that never progressed beyond the drafting board. They may be deemed unbuildable due to practical limitations, or they may have been intentionally conceived without any intention to be realised. In the realm of paper architecture, the focus doens’t necessarily lay on construction and actual buildings, but rather on the artistry and adroitness of design. It is a conceptual and visionary pursuit deeply intertwined with the exploration of dys/utopian ideas within our imagination.

The Soviet Architects

In 1984, Yuri Avvakumov coined the term “paper hi ” h i d i l h relevant. The “why” or “why not” question is a lot more interesting

Or consider the Roving Auditorium by Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin; the theater without a fixed stage. This nomadic theater wanders through the streets, stopping at unexpected locations and raising its curtain to seek new productions, scene-designers, and actors. The architecture, citizens, and their interactions become the play itself. Dissecting and unraveling their drawings, models and narratives, these architects raise thought-provoking quer y ’s. They provide ample material for contemplation, all while solely constructing with ink on paper.

Étiene-Louis Boullée

While the origin of the term “paper architecture” can be traced back to the late twentieth centur y, the concept i lf b d h h ll f hi l itself can be spotted throughout all of architectural history. As early as 1784, the French architect architect Étiene-Louis Boullée, conceived a plan to honor the English physicist Isaac Newton. Boullée was renowned for his expressive thinking and captivated by the mysteries of the natural world. Despite facing a lot of criticism during his, Boullée’s figments of mind and literary contributions are now widely recognized as visionary in our modern era. concrete architecture” as he examined a particular phenomenon within Soviet architecture for his book. The expression encompassed visionary, utopian and/or conceptual architecture that was not necessarily intended for realization in the real world but rather served as a means to provoke dialogue and contest prevailing norms. To design for commotion; the noise if you will. At the time in the Soviet Union, conceptual architecture emerged as a form of protest against the perceived dehumanization immanent to mass brutalist concrete housing projects. Much of the work of a select group of Soviet architects primarily associated with the movement, was solely showcased at exhibitions and in magazines. Generally all seemed to be unrealizable formations. Yet their allure remains captivating and enticing to this day.

Consider, for instance, the “Viaductiy” by Iskander Galimov and Mikhail Fadeyev, proposing an imaginary city shaped like an infinite viaduct. It transforms the notion of a structure normally used to connect two worlds unto a world itself. The question whether something alike could be built becomes less of a select group ociated with the t exhibitions and o be unrealizable and ctiy” sing an imaginary It transforms the to connect two whether uilt becomes less

The Cenotaph memorial was no different. To Boullée, the sphere symbolized perfection. With a diameter surpassing 160 meters, the structure would have towered over notable landmarks like Notre Dame and the pyramids of Giza, falling only 20 meters short of La Sagrada Familia were it ever to be finished. The memorial would be accompanied by rows of closely spaced cypress trees, which enhanced the aweinspiring effect of the building’s immense size. During daylight hours, the inside of the globe would mimic a black starlit sky, with daylight seeping through numerous apertures in the upper hemisphere of the structure. As night falls, a central suspended spherical beacon illuminates the inside casting a mesmerizing glow. Boullee’s grandiose vision undoubtedly clashed with the practicality of constructors at the time. However, such reactions did not trouble Boullée himself, as he thrived on stirring up noise and tumult with his audacious ideas.

Andre Basdevant

Another architect that didn’t shy away from bold visions was Andre Basdevant. While his ideas often elaborated upon already existing structures, his adjustment proposals were deemed highly impractical at best. However, he is the man that gifted us this clickbaity image of the Eiffel tower, flanked by two spiraling ramps. Although to his credit, it isn’t as random as it might seem at first glance. In the 1930s the automobile was the pinnacle of industrial and mechanical advancement. So making the restaurant located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower accessible by car wouldn’t be that outrageous.However, one may question whether such convenience outweighs the visual disruption to Paris’ most iconic tourist attraction. But Basdevant had more radical plans, where motives and practicality are once again subject to scrutiny. Picture this: a landing strip suspended more than a hundred meters above ground level, hovering above the Seine River at the heart of Paris. What’s more, this landing strip would be rotatable and supported by at least 18 immense structures, whose additional functions remained rather vague. As for the spiral ramps, Basdevant seemed inspired by the novelty and rise of mechanical vehicles, aiming to translate these developments into architectural form. Perhaps there was a touch of megalomania manifested in his proposals, as he certainly tended to think big. These two examples seem to be the result of such quixotic visions.

There is a third proposal though, to complete Basdevant’s oeuvre. It matches the scale and radicalness of the previous two, and interestingly, however interestingly it could be seen as a premature version of the Channel Tunnel, the underwater connection between the UK and France which was completed in 1996. Basdevant’s proposal featured a double-track railway on its lower level and four lanes for automobiles on its upper level. While he was invited to present his idea to the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry just before the outbreak of World War II, and submitted several revisions after, the plan never materialized. Today, what remains of Andre Basdevant’s legacy are the surreal images of his visionary yet bewildering plans.

These projects illustrate the varied application and understanding of paper architecture. The Soviets demonstrated a clear intention to provoke and challenge the masses solely through design on paper. On the other hand, Basdevant’’s ideas may be considered conceptual by the masses, but he himself may not have labeled them as such. Ultimately, paper architecture encompasses a broad spectrum of visionary, utopian ideas. Determining the ‘conceptual’ nature of a gp design can be a complex task though, as it may not always be apparent at the time of its conception. There are countless more stories to explore, as paper architecture can function as an endless source of inspiration. I could have told you the story on how Antoni Gaudi’s 1908 Manhattan sk yscraper design was submitted to the World Trade Center design competition in 2003. Or the various redesigns for the Eiffel Tower as proposed by numerous architects over the years. Or go more into detail about Soviet paper architects as the movement was pretty substantial. In the end, it remains a open-ended practice as its exploration can go on indefinitely.