The Public Paperfolding History Project

Main Index Page

Last updated 31/7/2025

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3D Paper Buildings / Structures / Architectual Elements
 
This page attempts to record what is known about the origin and history of 3D Buildings and other structures / architectural elements which are mainly created by paperfolding, rather than mainly by using cardboard modelling or paper sloyd techniques. Please contact me if you know any of this information is incorrect or if you have any other information that should be added. Thank you.

There is a separate index page for 2D Buildings and Structures.

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The Stairs - 1889 onwards

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1904

A design for a 'Hohle Halbkugel' (Hollow Hemispere) appears in 'Handbüchlein der Papierfaltekunst' (Handbook of Paperfolding Art) by J Sperl, which was first published by by H Hartleben's Verlag in Wien and Leipzig in 1904.

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1906 onwards

'Les Bon Jeudis' by Tom Tit, which was published in Paris in 1906 by Librairie Vuibert, showed how to link Playing Card Cubes together by means of their external tabs to create designs for modular buildings.

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1910

A design for a 'Treppe' (Staircase) appears in 'Allerlei Papierarbeiten' by Hildergard Gierke and Alice Kuczynski, which was published by Drud und Verlag B G Teubner in Leipzig and Berlin in 1910.

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A 'Haus' made by the slit and fold technique appears in Part 2 'Das Flechten' of 'Die Frobelschen Beschaftigungen' by Marie Muller-Wunderlich, which was published by Friedrich Brandstetter in Leipzig in 1910.

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1927

'Lustiges Papierfaltbüchlein' by Johanna Huber, which was published by Otto Maier in Ravensburg, Germany, probably in 1927, contains a design for a simple folded wall.

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1932

A three piece design for a three-dimensional house appears in Booklet 3 of 'Images a Plier', a series of 6 booklets published by Librairie Larousse in Paris in 1932.

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1939

A Mill made from a paper cone and a cut and fold windmill appears in 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939.

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The same book contains a house, 'Mi casita', made from an envelope and two rectangles of differing sizes.

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The Windmill design also appears, as in 'Molino de Viento', in 'El Plegado y Cartonaje en la Escuela Primaria' by Antonio M Luchia and Corina Luciani de Luchia, which was published by Editorial Kapelusz in Buenos Aires in 1940.

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1961

'Wir Falten' by Joachim Schönherr and Gerta Schumann, which was published by Rudolf Arnold Verlag in Leipzig in 1961, contains instructions for making a series of building using the Paper Sloyd technique.

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