Food as Architecture

Today I decided to delve into the world of food as it relates to architecture. Now, if you're like me, when you think architectural food you think gingerbread houses or crazy cake sculptures from various Food Network challenges. However, there are many mediums and varieties of food as architecture. Enjoy!

[Cookie] City by Song Dong

Chinese artist Song Dong uses various cookies, crackers, marshmallows and baked ingredients to form edible cities.

Another city by Song Dong, this time with candy, donuts and colored icings as well as cookies and crackers.

Falling Water  (gingerbread)

organic layers carved from a honeydew

"Edible Beijing"

Jell-O.

Cake Mondrian (which I know isn't technically architectural, but it's cool:D)

baby gingerbread house by Not Martha

Building "essentials": chocolate nuts, bolts, screws and legos

Essentially, there are two different takes on food as architecture: food that looks like architecture or that contains some type of structural element, and architecture inspired by food.

Various Buildings inspired by food

The latter was most popular during the first half of the 20th century, mostly housing diners, drive-ins, ice cream and donut shoppes. Recently, these kitschy fruit inspired structures have been turning up in japan:

These fun stops come in nearly all fruit varieties (melon, strawberry, orange, pineapple, etc.).

While these examples are all very literal, it is important to realize that most buildings which take their inspiration from food may develop nicknames based on their shape, texture, etc. (i.e. "the Pickle" by Jean Nouvel).