origami lava illuminates an abandoned building surrounded by dormant volcanoes

david oliva of barcelona-based SP25 arquitectura and anna juncà of firm atelier 4 have come together to illuminate the site of an abandoned building. as part of the recent LLUÈRNIA festival of light and fire in catalonia, the pair have created a spectacular flow of lava made up of over 10,000 folded pieces of paper. titled origami lava, the piece is affixed to an abandoned building in olot, a town surrounded by dormant volcanoes.

images courtesy of SP25 arquitectura

the installation occupies almost 100 m2 of surface with a continuous flow of lava illuminated by a series of lights positioned at various points. creating the look of incandescent liquid rock, the installation is further brought to life with the use of smoke machines.

a closer look at the individual elements reveals an array of fortune tellers, a form of origami used in children’s games. traditionally, parts of the fortune teller are labelled with colors or numbers that serve as options for a player to choose from, eventually revealing a message hidden on the inside of eight flaps. in the context of the installation they are left blank, the four tips generating a ‘flame’, representing a potential if not inevitable future perhaps.

LLUÈRNIA is a festival made up of ephemeral installations evoking the volcanic origins of the natural environment of olot. it is celebrated in olot in early november inviting creatives from all sorts of disciplines to participate with projects lasting six hours, from sunset to midnight.