Boxel, the Beer Crate Pavilion

The Germans know their beer, so much so that they're turning beer into building inspiration. Boxel, a structure created by digital design students from the University of Applied Sciences in Detmold in Germany, is made of 2000 beer crates! The students used computer modeling and the beer crate as modular "brick" to create the shape, which required minimal hardware of slats and screws. The team tested multiple prototypes for structural integrity and materials, and in the end added extra bracings and concrete-lined boxes to aid in the stabilization of the entire structure. The pavilion, now built, will serve as an open performance space throughout the summer, after which it will be taken down (sad!). But, perhaps these fleeting structures are even more interesting for their ephemeral existences. Let's enjoy them while we can (and remember that the most everyday of materials can be truly inspiring).