Make a Paper Skyscraper!

Step 1

With your A4 paper, make a square by dragging one corner of the paper diagonally to the bottom. The point it meets is where you’ll fold from. From here, cut off the remaining section of the paper with scissors. You now have a square!

Step 2

From one side of the square, measure 1cm at the top and 1cm at the bottom of the paper with your pencil. Using your ruler and pencil, draw a line joining the 2 marks and make a fold down the line using edge of the ruler. You now have a 1cm flap.

Step 3

Fold down the 1cm flap onto the page so it is flat on the paper. With the flap folded down, you will now have a square that is 20cm by 20cm.  From here, fold it in half. Fold it in half again. You now should have a folded rectangle with dimensions of 16cm length and 5cm width.

Step 4

Open the folded rectangle back into a square. You can check if the side of the building is 5cm wide by measuring between the four folded edges.

Rotate the square and from the top right, measure in 5cm and fold at this point across the page downwards.

Step 5

From here, cut out the small rectangle formed at the bottom right. 

Draw a line 1cm away from the fold line (as indicated by the dashed orange line) and then cut along this line. Don’t cut the last square as you will need this!

Step 6

Flip the remaining cut square with the remaining 5x5cm square at the bottom right. Draw line 1cm in on this side (and on the other side). Using your ruler, mark 1cm divisions along the sides of the drawn rectangles on each section. Using these 1cm marks, you can then draw a 14x3cm square grid within each rectangle on each section. Colour in the squares however you like!

Step 7

Apply glue to the flaps on the side of the square and stick the flap to the other side of the square, with your colourful drawings facing outwards. Apply glue to the flaps on top of the building for the 5x5cm square to stick onto.

Step 8

You have successfully created a Paper Skyscraper! Make sure you take photos of your designs, upload them below, or send them to Open City via education@open-city.org.uk. We can’t wait to see what you make!

This activity was designed by Amjad Butt, a former Accelerate participant who is currently studying Architectural Technology at the University of Westminster.

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