Completion of The Paperdome

After more than a decade in storage, the Paper Dome has found a new home. This iconic cardboard dome, originally built in 2004 in collaboration with architect Shigeru Ban, will now serve as a sports facility for youth in Amsterdam Southeast.

Octatube first realized the Paper Dome in 2004 in Amsterdam IJburg, where it functioned as a temporary theater for dance performances. The demountable dome structure, spanning 30 meters, is composed of cardboard tubes connected by steel nodes, with a fabric stretched over the tubes. The icosahedron dome was designed, produced, and assembled in just seven weeks. During the summer of 2004, the Paper Dome was relocated to Leidsche Rijn in Utrecht, where it became a multifunctional space for the newly developed Vinex residential area. In 2012, the dome was dismantled and placed in storage.

Now, more than 10 years later, the Paper Dome has been given a new purpose. Thanks to a collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam, the 3X3 UNITES Foundation, the Hartvoordebuurt Foundation, and local community partners and initiatives, the dome will be repurposed as a sports facility. The Paper Dome is scheduled to open its doors in February 2025. Octatube and Octatube Services are incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to reassemble this unique round structure for the third time.