Cardiff University team create giant installation out of 25,000 pencils

Staff and students from the Welsh School of Architecture showcase novel design structure in Barcelona

Staff and students from Cardiff University have taken to one of Europe’s grandest cities to set-up a novel design installation with a twist.

The team from the Welsh School of Architecture have travelled to Barcelona and joined forces with their contemporaries at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona to create an art installation made up of 25,000 pencils.

Though the finished piece could not rival the great architectural works of Gaudi, the aim of the project was to challenge preconceptions about what it means to collaborate and required purposeful interaction between the groups of students from both institutions.

The project involved a total of 250 participants, who each added 100 pencils to the installation over the course of a single day.

There was no masterplan to work from and each of the participants was provided with only simple instructions on how to connect the pencils using rubber bands.

Sergio Pineda, a lecturer at the Welsh School of Architecture who participated in the project, said: “It is very rare in schools of architecture, or in design institutions in general, to think about design as a collective endeavour. That is, to think about design as something that can emerge from enhancing a sense of community or a collective sense of achievement amongst a large group of individuals.

“The installation was conceived as a platform to enhance the commonalities and connections amongst all those participating in the workshop."

The installation was constructed at MUHBA Oliva Artés and will be on display from Wednesday 1 February until Wednesday 22 February.