Artist Creates Intricate Architectural Models from Paper

US-based artist Christina Lihan uses her skill as an architect to produce detailed models of famous buildings and urban spaces, from paper.

Ms. Lihan received a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia and went on to get her Master’s in architecture, from Columbia University, in New York. She has done internships in England, France and Italy, but it was the recurring, tedious rhythm of hundreds of soviet-built housing cities she saw in Czechoslovakia that most influenced the way she looked at building facades. After completing her studies, she decided to use all of the acquired knowledge in the name of art, by creating inspiring architectural models from paper.


Christina Lihan first decided to dedicate her life to art during the time she spent living in Florida, scheming hospitals for another architect. She was really bored, and realized she needed an imaginative outlet so she just started cutting paper, playing with it and trying to turn it into building models. It grew from there and eventually became her passion. Her extraordinary creations are made from unpainted, 300lb, watercolor paper. She carves cuts and folds every little piece by hand awaiting she assembles them into a completed composition. Ms. Lihan starts by photographing the site she wants to replicate, then moves on to sketching with charcoal, and lastly enlarges the drawing to the preferred size of the finished piece. She usually places the detailed pieces of paper directly over the drawing.

As you can imagine, creating such complicated models from paper can be quite time consuming. According to Christina Lihan, a little 18-by-24 piece can take up to 50 hours to complete.