You can now read some of Zbigniew Herbert’s poetry in the courtyard of the main building of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. It is exhibited in a rather unusual way - a paper pavilion made by the students of the Faculty of Architecture.

– The structure is a collective effort of 18 people, who developed it as an entry for the ProtoLAB competition. The students did everything on their own, from the first concepts all the way through to the user-ready product - said Jerzy Łątka, PhD during the official opening of the pavilion. He and Professor Romuald Tarczewski supervised the project in terms of substantive knowledge and skills needed to carry it through.

Almost entirely made of paper, the pavilion features materials such as corrugated board, paper pulp, as well as paper sleeves and sections. The point of departure was a cuboid featuring a 5 x 3 m base and 3 m in height. It was divided into three integral elements: the cover (tree crown), pillars (trunks), and the base (duff). Strips of paper with Zbigniew Herbert’s poems were attached to the structure’s roofing.

– In this way, we pay homage to the great poet, to whom the year 2018 is dedicated. We chose extracts which somehow draw on the motifs of the forest and nature, as that was the concept of our project - explains student Szymon Ciupiński.

Also Jerzy Łątka, PhD is clearly satisfied, emphasising that the students put a lot of work and effort into the project. – They saw for themselves what it’s like to be an architect, construction engineer, manager, and builder. It’s no doubt going to prove useful in their professional careers - asserts the supervisor, who has been organising cardboard construction workshops for years.  – It’s another argument in favour of the idea of building a better world from paper - comments Jerzy Łątka, PhD jokingly.

The pavilion, located in the courtyard of building A-1 at Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego, can be visited in the university’s opening hours.