Trace City: Imaginary Architecture by Takaaki Yagi

Tokyo-based artist and designer Takaaki Yagi builds cities that don’t exist, using nothing but the surface of paper that’s already been used up.

In Trace City, an ongoing series of architectural compositions, Takaaki uses textures from old copy paper to construct monumental, concrete-like structures from simple geometric forms. Working entirely in grayscale, he imagines a world of massive walls, elevated walkways, deep voids and seemingly endless staircases.

Light and shadow do much of the work in his isometric pieces, carving sharp diagonals across the architecture and adding depth to each scene. The subtle grain of the paper textures softens the precision of the geometry, making these imagined structures feel more tactile and physical.

For more of Takaaki Yagi’s art and design work, visit his website.

More art on the grid via Behance