LAVA to launch giant digital origami tigers to celebrate 2010 Chinese New Year
Two giant digital origami tigers will playfully celebrate Chinese New Year on the forecourt of Customs House, Sydney from 11 February – 14 March 2010.
The crouching digital tigers fuse ancient lantern making methods with cutting edge digital design and fabrication technology, bringing east and west together through tradition and innovation.
Commissioned by Customs House to raise awareness about the endangered status of tigers in this the Year of the Tiger, giant origami tigers were designed by multinational architectural practice Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA).
The tigers are inspired by “zhezhi”, a Chinese term for paper folding, more popularly known by its Japanese name “origami”. The Chinese or Lunar New Year is the most important Chinese holiday and starts with a Lantern Festival.
The tigers are the size of a truck at 2.5 metres high and 7 metres long yet weigh only 200kgs and use fully recyclable materials, aluminium and barrisol. Low energy LED lighting brings the sculptures to life.
Apart from raising awareness for animal rights and extinct species the project continues LAVA’s mission in lightweight structures to build MORE WITH LESS.
“We also believe that humour belongs to architecture, too, and so the tigers are playing soccer to kick off the FIFA world cup starting later this year,” said Chris Bosse, Australian director of LAVA.
“The design concept for the giant tigers evolved from digital origami Tasmanian tigers that we developed with architecture students in Launceston last year. These thylacines took over Tasmania during the Ten days on the Island Festival and then turned up in Malaysia as part of the inaugural KL Design Week last May.”
About LAVA
Founded in 2007 with offices in Sydney, Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi. LAVA won the international competition for the city centre of Masdar in UAE, the world’s first eco city; recently completed the Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower, an ultra-luxury residential tower in Abu Dhabi; the Future Hotel Showcase suite in Germany; an architectural installation Green Void, runner up at the 2009 AA|FAB Awards, Architectural Association UK; the Sherman Bibliotheca at the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney; and the set for the 2009 Vodaphone MTV awards in Sydney.
Giant Digital Origami Tigers
11 February – 14 March 2010
Customs House
1 Alfred Street, Circular Quay
For more information:
www.l-a-v-a.net
www.sydneycustomshouse.com.au
LAVA LABORATORY FOR VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE
72 Campbell Street Surry Hills
Sydney NSW 2010 Australia
PH: +61 2 92801475
Email: bosse@l-a-v-a.net
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February 3rd, 2010 at 6:46 am
That’s a lot of bullshit. Crouching endangered tiger playing soccer in 2010, architects with humor!
What about Tiger Woods?
February 5th, 2010 at 9:48 am
that was great work the Chinese are really good at craft works
February 5th, 2010 at 10:09 am
The big paper tiger is looking good,this will becomes children’s favorite toy.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:33 am
well, fist time in my life I see something like that – digital origami – well done
by the way – the big paper tiger indeed looks nice