According to von Chrismar, “The wicker woven surfaces change their behavior in an opposite way from design to architecture.” Essentially woven architecture is more flexible and therefore more resistant to stretching than smaller pieces. Each of von Chrismar’s screens took 5 days to weave. They are 118 inches tall, 354 inches long, and the whole set of them take up 89 square feet. Most surprisingly, though comprised of nearly weightless strands of willow, each piece of wicker architecture weighs 100 pounds!
In addition to having a more feminine quality than geometric designs, we love how the wicker architecture creates a dappled light effect and copious shade. Structural integrity is also important and achieved by paying special attention to the fiber’s design, structure, and thickness. Although it may not seem like it first, this natural, renewable material is an excellent alternative to carbon-intense building materials such as concrete, and right up there with bamboo on the aesthetically-pleasing index.
+ Andrea von Chrismar
Via Arch Daily
[1]
Andrea von Chrismar creates incredible wicker structures that stand easily ten to fifteen times larger than your standard basket or chair. Although weaving willow into small objects and furniture is a longstanding tradition in the designer’s home of are
[2]
Andrea von Chrismar may be the first person to weave architecture
[3]
Wicker has been used for weaving furniture and other objects for centuries
[4]
So von Chrismar decided to experiment with it as a building material
[5]
The Chilean designer found that wicker scaled as architecture is more flexible than smaller objects
[6]
Woven architecture is also resistant to stretching
[7]
Willow or wicker is a natural, renewable material that has the same aesthetic appeal as bamboo
[8]
Woven architecture creates wonderful shade and diffuses light, creating shelter from the sun
[9]
This is the wicker before it is dried out
[10]
Woven architecture has none of the sharp edges associated with geometric design
[11]
The thickness of the wicker fiber and how it is structured determine how strong it will be as a building material.