Michael Jantzen's colossal tree houses, spiralling staircases and unusual sculptures

When it comes to imagination, Michael Jantzen never seems to run out of ideas. The American artist and designer merges art, architecture and technology with sustainable design to create the most unusual and beautiful sculptures.

The Public Sculpture - © Michael Jantzen

The Public Sculpture - © Michael Jantzen

He completely throws out the rule book and defies expectations to craft colourful and free-flowing architectural pieces – many of which have form and function; some aim to simply inspire.

From appealing, contemporary tree houses, stood on spindly white legs, to giant "energetic" red pavilions that look ripe for climbing, his growing portfolio of work has been recognised and appreciated around the world. Some of his projects have also been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

How does he come up with these incredible artworks? "My wide range of ideas come from my interest in, and desire to, reinvent everything," explains Jantzen. "I am also willing to change my original ideas about a specific project if I see other opportunities along the way.

"I never stop looking for other opportunities and go through a simple exercise with each project of trying to think of it in a different way. This can be as simple as changing the scale of an object and thinking about how it would function bigger or smaller. I often take an object (usually a physical model of the design) and turn it upside down, change the colour, or hold it up to a mirror to change the way I see it, these simple methods often lead to a better idea about what the thing could be.

"I look in detail at a finished project, and think of ways in which that project could evolve into something else, either physically or conceptually, so I often base one project on the next and this can lead to many new things, if you stay open to the potentials inherent within each idea."

Discover more at www.michaeljantzen.com.

Our Mobile Home - © Michael Jantzen

Our Mobile Home - © Michael Jantzen

The Open Cube - © Michael Jantzen

The Open Cube - © Michael Jantzen

The Meandering Staircase Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Meandering Staircase Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Treehouse - © Michael Jantzen

The Treehouse - © Michael Jantzen

The Energetic Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Energetic Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Shape Shifting Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Shape Shifting Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Energetic Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

The Energetic Pavilion - © Michael Jantzen

Serpentine - © Michael Jantzen

Serpentine - © Michael Jantzen

Spacecraft - © Michael Jantzen

Spacecraft - © Michael Jantzen

The Sun Shaped Column - © Michael Jantzen

The Sun Shaped Column - © Michael Jantzen

The Sun Shaped Column - © Michael Jantzen

The Sun Shaped Column - © Michael Jantzen

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