Giona Bierens de Haan turns Swiss cars into building blocks

Designer Giona Bierens de Haan has unveiled an art and architectural installation titled It all remains, which confronts the issue of automotive waste in Switzerland. The project focuses on reinterpreting decommissioned vehicles to function as structural building blocks and local resources tailored for a post-fossil-fuel architecture.

With nearly 5 million registered vehicles operating domestically, averaging 0.5 cars for every inhabitant, Switzerland sees approximately 200,000 automobiles removed from service each year. A significant challenge is that two-thirds of these decommissioned vehicles are exported to foreign nations that enforce less stringent environmental regulations.

The conceptual project by Giona Bierens de Haan directly addresses this heavy reliance on foreign markets for domestic waste management by proposing local material revalorization strategies instead.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

By anticipating a future transition into a post-fossil-fuel era where traditional automobiles become obsolete, this installation shifts the paradigm, viewing decommissioned cars not merely as waste products, but as vital structural resources and foundational building blocks for future construction endeavors.

Source: designboom