ARCHITECTURE: Shigeru Ban-Kobe Paper Log House

Offsite is the Vancouver Art Gallery’s outdoor exhibition space. Since its launch in 2009, Offsite is presenting an innovative program of temporary projects, it is a site for local and international contemporary artists to exhibit works related to the surrounding urban context. Featured artists consider the site-specific potential of art within the public realm and respond to the changing social and cultural conditions of our contemporary world. New projects are installed in the spring and fall.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Vancouver Art Gallery Archive

The Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is known for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Under the direction of Shigeru Ban, the Vancouver Art Gallery has built a version of his 15.8 square-meter “Kobe Paper Log House” at Offsite, utilizing readily sourced materials, the exhibition also features a large photomural documenting Ban’s ongoing design work on global disaster relief projects. In 1/1/1995 at 5:46 am, the coast of Japan was hit by a7.3 on the Richter scale earthquake, its epicentre was the northern part of Awaji Island in the Inland Sea, 12.5 miles off the coast of the port city of Kōbe. Located as close as it was to such a densely populated area, the effects were overwhelming. Its estimated death toll of 6,400 made it the worst earthquake to hit Japan since the Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake of 1923, which had killed more than 140,000. The Kobe quake’s devastation included 40,000 injured, more than 300,000 homeless residents, and in excess of 240,000 damaged homes, with millions of homes in the region losing electric or water service. Kobe was the hardest hit city with 4,571 fatalities, more than 14,000 injured, and more than 120,000 damaged structures, more than half of which were fully collapsed. At the time a young Tokyo-based architect, Shigeru Ban responded to the urgent need for temporary relief shelter by designing the Kobe Paper Log House, which served to house thousands of displaced Kobe residents. Since its creation, Ban has been called on by such organizations as the United Nations to develop his innovative structures, regarded for their low cost, easy accessibility and simple application. The foundation consists of donated beer crates loaded with sandbags. The walls are made from 106mm diameter, 4mm thick paper tubes, with tenting material for the roof. The 1.8m space between houses was used as a common area. For insulation, a waterproof sponge tape backed with adhesive is sandwiched between the paper tubes of the walls. The cost of materials for one 52 square meter unit is below $2000. The unit are easy to dismantle, and the materials easily disposed or recycled, as a result of this, Ban’s DIY refugee shelters are used around the world.

Info: Curator: Bruce Grenville, Vancouver Art Gallery, Offsite, 1120 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, Duration 11/5-8/10/18, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca