Manar Moursi

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Related projects:
Evaporative Clay, Palm Crate Canopy Kit

Ladders and Ladders

I was the design author and supported by Rowan Kandil in the production of the renders and visuals. This proposal was created during the Still City Workshop, organized by Monnik (Edwin Gardner and Christian Fruneaux) in Tokyo in 2012. It was published in the Still City Tokyo Guide by Flick Studio in 2015.   

The project was also exhibited at the Miller Institute for Contemporary Art in 2016, and featured in an article in Lunch Magazine, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Transient Utopias: A Scenario for Pink Plastic Islands Still City, Tokyo, Cairo, 2012

In a post-global warming world with rising sea levels, where remnants of human existence may be plastic, this proposal envisions living on floating plastic patches as islands. Inspired by narratives like Ibn Tufail’s Hayy ibn Yaqzan and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, it explores how isolation and constant climate flux could push society to replace rigid structures with flexibility, community, and adaptability. Developed during a one-month residency in Tokyo, the concept utilizes ubiquitous plastic crates to create modular, floating habitats in an apocalyptic flooding scenario. Drawing from the Japanese Metabolist movement of the 1960s and 70s, particularly Kiyonori Kikutake’s vision of floating, nomadic cities that transform into reefs, the proposal aims to redefine the human-nature relationship while promoting environmental restoration.

The renders depict floating plastic-crate islands in post-flood Tokyo, designed to be mobile, adaptable, and ecologically beneficial. These floating neighborhoods reduce storm-wave energy, act as buffers, and improve estuarine environments while fostering a deeper human connection with nature. The system, governed by flexible agreements among inhabitants, encourages shared responsibility and community building. A step-by-step construction manual accompanies the proposal, offering practical guidance for creating these islands and empowering residents to adapt to climate change. While this design explores coping strategies for a climate-ravaged world, it does not endorse plastic use, but instead highlights the urgency of addressing climate issues before such extreme measures are needed.

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