Two origami artists have broken a record that’s swan of a kind.
Paul Frasco and Ryan Dong of New York City, New York, USA, created the largest origami swan.
The papercraft, which measures 4.69 m (15 ft 4 in) x 2.92 m (9 ft 6 in) x 1.09 m (3 ft 6 in), was completed on 23 June 2023 and was installed at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City during the 2023 OrigamiUSA Convention.
That's as big as a compact SUV!
OrigamiUSA annually hosts the largest international gathering of origami artists, publishers, and enthusiasts in New York City.
The convention is an all-ages event, but one of the highlights for younger folders is always the oversized folding, where teams set out to create huge origami creations from 9-ft sheets of paper.
The goal for the largest origami swan was to identify opportunities to get younger folders engaged with origami and the possibilities for combining new technology with origami to create never-before-seen works and works on a grander scale.
Paul and Ryan wanted to choose an activity that would require teamwork and allow their crew of helpers to feel like they had a real part in achieving something.
They also wanted to give the attendees at the OrigamiUSA convention an opportunity to see something unique.
At extreme scales, the weight of the paper itself is the largest issue, and folds that are trivial at normal scales require a team to accomplish.
The swan is made from seamless photo backdrop paper, which is some of the largest paper that is commercially available and shippable.
It comes in large rolls that can be cut and seamed together to create the largest single sheet required.
The armature to hold the swan upright is made from PVC and custom-designed 3D printed parts to allow for assembly of the armature on site.
To create the swan, Paul and Ryan began with math, scaling up the traditional model to its final size.
They knew they wanted to start with a traditional origami design and scale it up, unlike Paul’s last world record for the largest origami dragon where he designed a new custom model.
The planning and design for the custom armature and 3D-printed parts took weeks of advanced planning.
With the support of OrigamiUSA and the Set Ship in New York City, on the day of the event Paul and Ryan received a roll of paper 9 ft wide and over 35 ft long.
Just unrolling the paper, seaming it together into a single sheet, and cutting it into a square took about an hour.
Once the sheet was assembled, the actual folding took approximately an hour with a team of helpers assisting with the largest folds and flips of the enormous paper.
For context, at a normal scale, the same traditional swan can probably be folded from start to finish in under 60 seconds.
The largest origami swan was Paul and Ryan’s first record attempt as part of the annual OrigamiUSA convention.
They wanted to pick a traditional origami model that would be immediately recognizable with a folding sequence that was well-known to their younger crew of helpers and spectators.
Ceiling height was the team’s largest consideration and they had to work backwards, taking into consideration how tall the neck of the swan could safely be.
Beyond that, transporting materials to the event site was a challenge, including getting to the venue and navigating corners at the venue itself with 9-ft rolls of paper.
However, Paul says the part of the experience he enjoyed the most was the looks he got on the subway as he moved 10-ft lengths of PVC pipe to get to the venue.
Paul and Ryan hope to continue to find ways to get young folders involved in breaking records and creating lasting memories for them.
As part of the annual OrigamiUSA convention, they are currently looking at other opportunities to create some of the largest origami spectacles in New York City.
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