Japan's Toyo Seikan Group, which specializes in packaging technology, has teamed up with "polar architect" Yusuke Murakami to create durable and water-resistant cardboard dome structures called the Dan Dan Dome. The durable and water-resistant domes are easy-to-assemble structures that the collaboration hopes can be implemented in not only outdoor activities such as camping, concerts, and art exhibits, but also to provide shelter in areas hit by natural disaster.

The concept behind the project was born when Murakami, a Japanese designer an architecture researcher who visits disaster areas to to provide living space and support with plastic cardboard domes, noticed the difficulty in transporting such heavy materials, along with their environmentally hazardous nature. Together with Toyo Seikan Group, the DAN DAN DOME was born was a sustainable replacement with many uses.

The dome is made of corrugated cardboard, a light and strong material with excellent durability. The cardboard used in it is made using the Toyo Seikan Group's proprietary lamination technology to maximize water resistance, and is assembled by easily docking parts without the use of any screws or nails.

The plain exterior can be customized with paint and design for use at festivals and tourist spots, and Toyo Seikan Group hopes the inside can also be creatively used for artistic purposes such as a planetarium.

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By - grape Japan editorial staff.