# Arch from units

With the available units it is possible to build an arch.

My arch is constructed from 626 sheet A4 laser printer paper. The paper was used before (banner pages: partially printed on one side with among other information: my name MAARTEN). The units are designed in such a way that you can fold them flat. So the total arch can be disassembled and carried on in a case of reasonable size (20 x 14 x 7 inch = 50 x 35 x 17 cm). You can even put that case in your trunk and take it with you in train or plane. I decorated the arch with flowers and leaves that took 350 sheets of Origami.

Other sizes of paper will do also as long as the proportion of the length to the width of the sheets are between 4:5.2 and 4:5.8 (A4 is 4:5.656). 'Legal' (8.5:11 inch; about 4:5.175) will do also I expect.

Total time for folding: 50 hours.

Because the A4 paper is rough and stiff you can't fold more than 8 units per evening. Folding too many units day after day may hurt your fingers (your skin is scoured and you may get blazes). The Origami Muenchen group managed to fold these in about a week with 8 to 10 people. They didn't really get 'hurt' but their fingers felt ... So if you want to make this arch (or something the like) you'll need 5 months at least.

Time needed for assembling of the arc: 6 working hours.

Building the arch is easy. Everybody can master the building system in some minutes and help you. In London I've built the arch on my own in 6 hours! So ask for some help.

Several pictures of the completed arch are available. This arch was built and rebuilt several times:

1992 OSN convention in Lunteren, Holland
1992 BOS convention in London (25 th BOS anniversary)
1993 MFPP convention in Toulouse (15 th MFPP anniversary)
1993 OUSA convention in New York (15 th OUSA anniversary)
1995 CDO convention in Vicenza
1996 Origami Muenchen convention in Muenchen
1997 AEP convention in Zaragoza, Spain
1997 BOS convention in York (30 th BOS anniversary)
1998 Origami conference in St.Petersburg, Russia
1999 Origami Deutschland convention in Hildesheim, Germany

Maarten van Gelder