Zupagrafika: paper brutalism
Polish studio Zupagrafika makes paper models of modernist and brutalist buildings and publishes books on 20th-century architecture.
What it is
Zupagrafika is an independent design studio and publisher based in Poland, founded in 2012 by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka. They design and publish paper models of modernist and brutalist buildings, mostly from the former Eastern Bloc but also from London, Paris and elsewhere, along with books on post-war architecture. Their Instagram is the showcase for all of it.
Why we picked it
The feed mixes photos of real buildings with assembled paper models shot as if they were the real thing. Housing blocks, estates, concrete theatres and towers, the kind of architecture most people walk past without looking, are presented here with real affection and an eye for detail. Anyone who grew up in a post-Soviet or post-war city will recognise a lot.
It's rewarding to scroll through a long stretch at once: you start noticing the same building types and design moves repeated from Warsaw to London. The studio's best-known project is "Brutal London", a set of paper cut-out models of London brutalist landmarks such as the Barbican Estate, Balfron Tower and the National Theatre, later released as a book. Other build-it-yourself titles include "Brutal East", "Brutal Britain" and "Eastern Blocks".
Where to start
- Photos of finished paper models staged like real architecture.
- The London series from "Brutal London".
- Posts on Eastern Bloc buildings from "Brutal East" and "Eastern Blocks".
- The studio's website, where the kits and books are collected.
Who it's for
Architecture fans, lovers of brutalism and post-war modernism, anyone hunting for an unusual gift, and people who fancy an evening with scissors and glue. It also works for those who just like graphic photographs of concrete and geometry.
Quick answers
What does Zupagrafika make? Paper models of modernist and brutalist buildings, plus books about twentieth-century architecture.
Where is the studio from? It's based in Poland and was founded by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka in 2012.
What are their best-known kits? "Brutal London", "Brutal East" and "Brutal Britain", books whose pages you cut out and fold into model buildings.
