London Design Festival 09: a temporary tower made of paper tubes designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has been erected on the South Bank in London.

Called Paper Tower, the 22m structure has been commissioned as part of Size + Matter, a London Design Festival initiative which this year also features a metal sculpture by Marc Newson, also located beside the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank.

See all our stories about London Design Festival 2009 in our special category.

Photos are by Susan Smart Photography.

Here's some info from London Design Festival:

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SIZE + MATTER
Renowned Designers To Create Ground-Breaking Sculptures For The London Design Festival

Two of the world’s most highly regarded designers and architects – Marc Newson and Shigeru Ban – have been commissioned by the organisers of The London Design Festival to create installations for its annual Size + Matter initiative.  The aims of this project are to challenge the perception of the everyday materials used, by creating dramatic temporary installations outside the Festival Hall which will be on display from 19 September, the opening date of the Festival, until mid October.

Shigeru Ban is an architect based in Tokyo and Paris.  He is best known for his disaster relief projects– in particular the cheap immediate housing made from paper and card which can be used in earthquake situations. For the London Design Festival he has designed a tower made from cardboard which will soar over the embankment walkway and be visible as a new addition to the South Bank skyline.

Made from cardboard tubes, the tower is articulated by metal joints, a system similar in design to the system used by Ban in his construction of a bridge, boathouse and various pavilions around the world. Sponsored by Sonoco, a global supplier of industrial and consumer packaging, the structure will be 22m high and once built, will become the tallest paper tower in the world.