Parasitic Architecture
Architecture that attaches to or inhabits existing urban structures, creating new functions within established environments.
PULIYA: A Parasitic Framework That Turns a Chandrapur Rail Bridge into a Civic Host
Shortlisted in Parasitic Architecture 2020, PULIYA attaches lightweight platforms, cafés and plazas to a railway bridge at Chandrapur's Varora Naka.
Shanghai Street Imagined: A Parasitic Balcony System Stitching a Mong Kok Tenement to Its Revitalized Neighbour
Lightweight steel and mesh modules latch onto an ageing tenement's balcony zone, threading exhibition, stairs and gathering space into Shanghai Street.
Bamboo Children's Pavilion: A Twisting Bamboo Shell That Turns a Paris Concrete Slab into Play
A shortlisted parasitic proposal grafts bent bamboo domes onto the 1970s Olympiades platform, giving neglected Paris concrete back to children.
THE CAPSULE: A Faceted Timber Pod That Hangs Blood Donation on a City Wall
A faceted pod hung on an existing facade turns an idle wall into a blood donation clinic, with reception, collection and recovery in one compact volume.
paraVIEW: A Parasitic Viewing Tower That Invites Comuna 13 to Reimagine Itself
A shortlisted parasite on Medellín's Grafitour Cultural Centre stacks five framed views, from rooftops to sky, so residents can picture their own changes.
Despacio: A Parasitic Room That Rides a Metro Pillar to Slow Medellín's Urban Rhythm
A doughnut-shaped room glides along a vertical rail around a metro pillar at Parque Berrío Station, lifting people out of the crowd for a slow pause.
P-A-R-A-S-I-T-E: A Bamboo Bridge That Lets Hong Kong's Night Market Breathe From Above
A lightweight bamboo and timber parasite clings to a Yau Ma Tei facade, lifting circulation above Ning Po Street's crowded night market stalls.
FreshMart: A Rooftop Kitchen and Hydroponic Garden That Turns a Tokyo Convenience Store into a Civic Host
A runner-up at Parasitic Architecture 2020, FreshMart lifts a communal kitchen and food garden onto a single-storey FamilyMart in Toshima City.
Urban Creeper: A Planted Scaffold Kit That Turns São Paulo's Blank Facades Into Public Ground
A modular scaffolding second skin in Luz grafts gardens, stairs, commerce and rest onto a blank residential wall, then spreads across the city over time.
Box Seat to the City: A New York Fire Escape Reimagined as a Parasitic Room on the Façade
Chichi Ogbu folds the geometry of New York's fire escapes into a timber and polycarbonate addition that turns an idle façade into a place to live.
Parasite in the Urban Void: A Noise-Reactive Public Toilet Lodged Beneath a Dhaka Flyover
Shortlisted in Parasitic Architecture 2020, a stair canopy under Moghbazar's flyover supplies public toilets and blushes red as traffic noise climbs.
Urban Filter Manila: Moss Parasites That Turn Transit Infrastructure into Air Filters
Ruth Meigen grafts moss niches, tunnels and cabins onto Manila's stops, bridges and stations, forming a citywide network of air filters.
