Anupama Kundoo Architect

Books ‘the building blocks’ of society are facing extinction. Transition/evolution in the ‘form’ of the book through time has led to books becoming lighter, losing their materiality, now often only virtual. ‘Obsolete’ books locked in storage about to face their end, are rescued from pulping or burning, and brought back in circulation in a second life. They are recycled as construction material, rather than for its content that is immaterial.

Rescued ‘unwanted’ books are made available to workshop participants as food for thought, and for exploring as building material. This exploration is about building with books. The contemplation is about the impact of the ‘dying book’. The direct engagement and full-scale explorations with physical books as building material is symbolic of an approach that ‘any locally appropriate material’ can lend itself to the construction of architecture. Faced with a ‘new’ and ‘unconventional’ building material, first-hand explorations lead to discoveries of the materials properties and suitable architectural technologies. This method of self-discovery would help architects to design new technologies for even ‘conventional’ materials.

Exhibited in:

‘The Architect is Present’, Fundación ICO, Madrid, Spain.

‘The making of BCN Re.Set’, Fundaciò Enric Miralles, Barcelona, Spain.