reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources

it all remains, an installation by giona bierens de haan, addresses automotive waste in switzerland by reinterpreting decommissioned vehicles as structural building blocks and local resources for a post-fossil-fuel architecture.

GBdH edited by christina vergopoulou October 16, 2026 2 min

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SWISS AUTOMOTIVE EXPORTS HIGHLIGHT UNTAPPER MATERIAL RESOURCES

It all remains, an art and architectural installation by Giona Bierens de Haan, addresses the future of automotive resources and material reuse in Switzerland. With nearly 5 million registered vehicles circulating domestically, averaging 0.5 cars per inhabitant, and 200,000 removed from service annually, two-thirds of decommissioned automobiles are exported to countries with less stringent environmental regulations.

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 1 — all images ©Simone Bossi unless stated otherwise

CONVERTING OBSOLETE VEHICLES INTO STRUCTURAL BUILDING BLOCKS

The project by designer Giona Bierens de Haan responds to this reliance on foreign markets for domestic waste management by proposing local material revalorization. Anticipating a post-fossil-fuel transition where automobiles become obsolete, the conceptual installation redefines decommissioned cars not as waste, but as structural resources and foundational building blocks for future architectural construction.

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 2 — It all remains is an art and architectural installation designed by Giona Bierens de Haan

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 3 — the installation investigates automotive resource management and material reuse within Switzerland

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 4 — the installation critiques domestic reliance on foreign markets for automotive waste disposal

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 5 — Giona Bierens de Haan proposes local material revalorization as an alternative to vehicle export

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 6 — the project shifts the perception of car components from systemic waste to structural materials

it-all-remains-installation-giona-bierens-de-haan-future-cars-designboom-1800-3 — salvaged automotive parts form the primary material palette for the architectural intervention

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 7 — structural assemblies showcase the tactile and geometric potential of repurposed vehicle bodies

it-all-remains-installation-giona-bierens-de-haan-future-cars-designboom-1800-2 — the design explores how post-industrial artifacts can inform future spatial construction

reclaiming swiss auto waste, it all remains turns decommissioned cars into building resources - 8 — the installation offers a speculative look at building practices after the fossil fuel era | image ©Giona Bierens de Haan

project info:

name: It all remains

designer: Giona Bierens de Haan | @giona_bh

photographer: Simone Bossi | @simonebossiphotographer

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