Ulf Majergren Architects (UMA) has developed a conceptual project, “New Wave”, reusing plastic bottles from the ocean to build an art school in Mexico. Recycled objects were used for the facade of the building so that a positive message could be conveyed and the local community sensitized. All this in addition to the fact that the country generates about half a million tons of plastic waste per year.

The construction simulates real plastic waves that aim to amaze passers-by and at the same time offer a stimulating environment for children, but also to remember that the bottles come from there, from the sea.

The bottles are first pierced, inserted into a folding bar, then stacked on top of each other and finally given the desired shape, in this case, of large waves. To be clearer, they are joined together as if it were a fence. The bottles near the ground are filled with cement or sand to ensure stability and each element is also attached to a wall or a sheet in mid-air.

The colors are those typical of the sea, or better, of a wave, blue-cyan-white. The structure also offers shelter from the rain and the sun and in some parts also create seats and tables. The choice to give life to such a faithful form is to raise awareness and make people reflect on how plastic is damaging our planet and how it can be reused and used in architecture.

Text by Elisa Scotti