Japanese master architect and designer Shigeru Ban is known as the guru of eco-sustainable works designed for everyday use.
The work of this undisputed protagonist of the contemporary architectural panorama is strongly characterized by “eco-sustainable” features. For years, he has been conducting an intense professional research in the realm of highly innovative building techniques through the use of simple, recyclable and highly valid materials; flexible materials such as wood, paper, cardboard, bamboo and aluminium. Reducing costs and building times and minimizing energy consumption are his main objectives.
In 2008 Ban presented a really interesting project that closely concerns the tissue industry because its protagonist is toilet paper. Paper - united with the architect's desire for simplicity of form and his attitude vis-à-vis the environment - is another element that characterizes his work, and has often been the protagonist of his projects as an alternative raw material. And Shigeru Ban has proposed the square roll… the “squaroll” as we like to call it!
By modifying the shape of the central support, the roll can take on a square shape which - besides making the packaging more totally functional - allows the use of less paper with respect to the traditional roll thanks to the greater resistance that this different shape poses when tearing sheets from the roll.
Genially simple, it really does seem like a banal discovery, but one which should make engineers all over theworld stop and think…. Could this be the shape of rolls to come?