On Feb 21, 2020 Taro’s Origami Studio unveiled their most complex and luxurious giant origami model ever.  Here is the exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how we brought it to life.

1: DESIGN

The mandate from the client was to help create a high-end paper crafted, origami-inspired version of the most luxurious modern-day cruise liner ever created.  It was a tall task to be sure, but something the staff at Taro’s Origami Studio has been working towards for years.  The first step was to take real-life schematics of the ship and start designing models that could be created with the same proportions and features as the ship itself.  Many ideas were bandied about, but in the end, three version were proposed to the client- a wire-frame version, a more accurate filled-in version, and then a modular abstract version.  After hours of rendering on our computer systems, these are some of the renders that were presented as options.

2: REFINEMENT

After talking back and forth with the client, the wire-framed version of the ship was chosen, so the Taro’s team set out to decide how best to incorporate the origami elements into the ship.  One of the most striking ideas that the Taro’s team landed on was to create tessellations and place them in the negative space of the wire-frames.  This would allow the paper version of the ship to retain its frame and outline, while still allowing for some artistic license.  Four different versions of these tessellation patterns were also suggested, a corrugation, a pleated pattern, a spiral version, and a blintzed base.  Also the color scheme of varying versions of black metallic paper was also chosen.

3:  PREPARATION

The client liked the tessellations and direction for the project so the Taro’s team (led by the Park Slope Manager and Senior graphic designer Frank Ling) got to work using computers to cut each of the panels of the boat and try our hand at assembling the entire ship.  There were however, a few more hurdles.  Because the event itself was in Miami and the origami studio is in Brooklyn NY, the decision was made to cut the entire boat and then only assemble it once we had flown everything to Miami in parts.  Below are some photos of the team pre-folding and practicing assembly on parts of the boat and tessellations.  Once everything was worked on, the team of Frank and Ben Friesen flew down a few days early to Miami and got to work.

4: PRODUCTION

Working out of a temporary office in Miami, the team started assembling as much of the boat as possible and attaching all of the pre-folded tessellations.  The original plan was for the event to take place outside of the ship, but due to the high winds at the port of Miami, eventually the event was moved onto the ship itself and assembly continued in the casino of the boat.

5: DISPLAY

Months of preparation, days of assembly and folding, and one costume change later Frank and Ben went out on the grand staircase of the ship and put the finishing touches on the 8 foot long 100% paper replica of the boat.  The night was a huge success, with musical performances, presentations and the ship’s christening for the maiden passenger voyage.  These final photos are an up close look at the finished project, that everyone was very proud of.