Proposal for a Very Tall Building (Made of Sponges) consists of ceramic replicas of sponges, stacked vertically. Based on SUPERFLEX’s yearslong research into constructing human infrastructure that also accommodates other species, the work proposes a new skyscraper—the tallest in the world—designed to resemble sponges, an ancient type of marine organism vital to ocean ecosystems.

To make the work, the sponges have been painstakingly replicated; even the tiniest, most delicate details have been copied. Assembled into a tower, they suggest a new urban landscape built on the principles of organic life. Skyscrapers are designed to keep the elements out, but with this proposal, the porosity of the sponges would allow air and water to circulate through the building, creating an unpredictable flow of matter and life. Because all spaces in a sponge are connected, visitors can move from room to room vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or in any direction—the world’s second-tallest building will be infinitely traversable.