Paperdome

Architect
Client
Year
Location
Material
Cardboard
Application
Roof

In Amsterdam Zuidoost, the Paperdome has recently been reassembled for the third time. This dome structure is remarkable not only for its material use but also as a great example of circularity and sustainability.

The Paperdome was the first cardboard project that Octatube executed in collaboration with architect Shigeru Ban. Choreographer Jeanette van Steen inspired the Japanese architect to design a temporary theater. This resulted in an innovative icosahedral dome with a diameter of 30 meters, constructed from cardboard tubes connected by steel joints. Thanks to its bolted connections without sealants or glue, the dome is fully dismountable.

In the spring of 2003, the dome was produced within seven weeks and assembled for the first time in IJburg (Amsterdam), where dance performances were held for six weeks. After this period, the dome was dismantled. A year later, in 2004, Octatube reassembled the Paperdome in Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht, where it served as a temporary multifunctional space for the VINEX district. In 2012, the dome was dismantled again and put into storage.

After more than a decade in storage, the Paperdome has now found a new purpose. Octatube Services has inspected all its components and reassembled the structure for the third time. Starting in February 2025, this iconic cardboard dome will serve as a sports venue for young people in Amsterdam Zuidoost. Thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam, Stichting 3x3 UNITES, Stichting Hart voor de Buurt, and other partners, the realization of this new purpose has been made possible.

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