Boxed imagination

This may sound odd, but as a little girl I was fascinated by cardboard boxes. I found a thousands things to do with them – from building castles to making a little theatre and even creating the odd robot. A simple brown box could transform my imagination.

So when the book, Outside the Box: Cardboard Now, landed on the Design Week editorial desk, these memories came back to me and my interest was refuelled.

Muji's cardboard animals
Muji’s cardboard animals

Raw Edges Milk Cartons
Raw Edges Milk Cartons

The book by Michael Czerwinski and Santiago Perez, launched this month, explores contemporary cardboard design and illustrates its many practical and creative uses, not only as a material for children’s toys, decoration, furniture and interiors, but also as ‘a sustainable and durable material with endless potential’.

Muji's cardboard animals
GGRP’s Making it Make Noise record player

Czerwinski investigates the historical and traditional uses through to modern practices, while Perez surveys structural and material innovations.  The fully illustrated book also profiles the work of renowned individuals and design houses under the headlines packaging, product, furniture, art and architecture.

Flexible Love's extendable sofa
Flexible Love’s extendable sofa

Frank Gehry's Wiggle Chair
Frank Gehry’s Wiggle Chair

Work featured includes Frank Gehry’s iconic Wiggle Chair, French company Mitik’s imaginative toys and Amsterdam-based company Nothing’s use of cardboard to build an office.

Frank Gehry's Wiggle Chair
Cardboard office by Amsterdam-based company Nothing

Shigeru Ban Architects Japan Pavillion
Shigeru Ban Architects Japan Pavillion

As Czerwinski claims the ‘world seems ready to accept the potential of cardboard’, I can say for sure that my five-year-old self completely agrees.

Outside the Box: Cardboard Design Now by Michael Czerwinski and Santiago Perez is published by Black Dog Publishing this month, priced £19.95

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  • Rebecca Whitehurst November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Awesome!

  • Thanh Hai February 23, 2023 at 8:34 am

    i need dodo bird drawing, you can send it to me by email

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