The Paper Cocoon

The Paper Cocoon was a pavilion for an architecture exhibition held in April 2016. Built with architecture students, it was made mainly of bamboo and poonah paper, and took its form from the cocoons insects spin in nature.

Measuring 9 by 18 metres, the pavilion housed 17 works by seven architecture firms. Its frame used 800 bamboo sticks, and 1,200 sheets of poonah paper covered the shell inside and out.

The construction followed the way artisans make paper lion heads, a craft passed down through generations on an old street known for its paper goods. Building the pavilion themselves gave the students a chance to practise, deepen their knowledge and learn to work as a team.

The exhibition is organised every year by an online architecture community with more than 30,000 members, as a way to connect generations of architects with students.