Have you ever thought a building looked suspiciously similar to a futuristic tank? Or, perhaps a gothic spire was eerily reminiscent of a matchstick? You’re not alone. Rich McCor, aka paperboy, has been traveling the world since 2015 filling his Instagram account with whimsical photographs of black paper cut-outs that transform often serious works of architecture into playful cartoon-like images.
Taking Christoph Niemann’s surreal account abstractsunday as a starting point, McCor was inspired to disrupt the norms of architecture and embellish the everyday. Though the account originally began while McCor was exploring the UK “it's taken me way beyond London to corners of the world I never thought I'd see,” he says. It’s easy to see why his humorous images of golf ball domes, beach-side creatures, and a pyramid-turned-magic trick have garnered McCor over 350k followers.
Wellington has a few nicknames but when Peter Jackson made this his base for the production of Lord Of The Rings, it earned another nickname- Wellywood. It's here that that geniuses from nearby Weta Workshop dreamt up the designs for Gollum, King Kong, the aliens in District 9 & the Avatars in Avatar. I thought I'd use one of the City's landmarks to create a British icon to join the other screen stars here @topdecktravel #Topdecker #Ultimate49 #Wellington #NewZealand #Dalek #doctorwho
11.8k Likes, 205 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "Wellington has a few nicknames but when Peter Jackson made this his base for the production of Lord..."
I've just checked into Barcelona for the next five days to explore the Catalan Capital but I'm also trying out some of the best hotels over here with @hotelsdotcom. All of my trips to Barcelona in the past have been super quick, so I'm really looking forward to getting beyond the city centre this time and doing things like the mountains of Montserrat as well as having some time to track down the tastiest tapas (recommendations very much welcome). Nothing beats ending a trip feeling like I've experienced as much as I can- I'm not a sit on a beach for a week sort of guy- so I'm pretty sure I'm going to have sore feet come Wednesday but I'm looking forward to a rewarding time here #Barcelona #WeWhoTravel #Concierge
13.9k Likes, 275 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "I've just checked into Barcelona for the next five days to explore the Catalan Capital but I'm also..."
My Book is out on Tuesday in North America! Bursting with images from around the world (including loads I really want to post on here but I've promised myself to keep them exclusive to the book). There's plenty of surprising facts and stories accompanying each image and a whole section at the back with some of photos that didn't work at all. You can pre-order it via the link in my bio or look out for it in bookshops from Tuesday across North America #aroundtheworldincutouts
17.7k Likes, 195 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "My Book is out on Tuesday in North America! Bursting with images from around the world (including..."
So Barcelona is a major city, but I am so surprised how peaceful it is first thing in the morning- especially from the rooftop of Barceló Raval, where I've been staying the past few nights with @hotelsdotcom. It's been the perfect spot for 360 views at sunrise, not least because I've been able to hop back into bed right after getting the shots #WeWhoTravel #Barcelona #BarcelóRaval
6,354 Likes, 86 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "So Barcelona is a major city, but I am so surprised how peaceful it is first thing in the morning-..."
I am loving this city, it's so much fun to play with! I've been racing around getting some fun shots for @hotelsdotcom (head to their page to see some of them) and in between that I've been trying to see & do as much as I can as well as try out some of the food recommendations you guys kindly sent my way #WeWhoTravel #SagradaFamilia #Barcelona
13.9k Likes, 366 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "I am loving this city, it's so much fun to play with! I've been racing around getting some fun..."
Tonight from 8:30-9:30pm 'London' becomes 'Londoff as the Capital joins the millions of people around the planet who switch off their lights for #EarthHour. This year @wwf_uk are asking us all to make a promise for the planet, a simple lifestyle change like using a re-useable coffee cup, refusing plastic cutlery or washing on 30ºC. Personally I'm going to try and cut down on the amount of meat I eat. Please get involved by making a #PromiseForThePlanet & getting those lights off for one hour at 8:30pm #EarthHourUK #WWF #London @wwf
15.3k Likes, 327 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "Tonight from 8:30-9:30pm 'London' becomes 'Londoff as the Capital joins the millions of people..."
"I'm not bad, I'm just d̶r̶a̶w̶n̶ built that way", Jessica Rabbit #Barcelona #WhoFramedRogerRabbit
28.9k Likes, 403 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: ""I'm not bad, I'm just d̶r̶a̶w̶n̶ built that way", Jessica Rabbit #Barcelona #WhoFramedRogerRabbit"
Inspired by monsters from the upcoming movie, I've been on a bit of a #Rampage across the UK unleashing cutouts on iconic British landmarks, beginning here in Brighton. The movie is set in the States, so don't expect to see Brighton in the film but you can expect to see The Rock, Negan, a Giant Croc, a Flying Wolf & a 20-Foot Gorilla! Rampage is in cinemas across the UK on Thursday @rampagethemovie @brightonpalacepier #ad
11.2k Likes, 385 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "Inspired by monsters from the upcoming movie, I've been on a bit of a #Rampage across the UK..."
My #Rampage around the UK continues here in Bristol where I've let loose the film's Giant Wolf on the Clifton Suspension Bridge (You'll be pleased to know the special FX in the film are a lot more superior than mine). The film is out across the UK right now! @rampagethemovie #ad
7,342 Likes, 73 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "My #Rampage around the UK continues here in Bristol where I've let loose the film's Giant Wolf on..."
The last stop on my #Rampage around the UK was here at Stonehenge where I played around with the film's biggest star - George. It's been a cool adventure exploring my home country whilst doing something a bit different with my cutouts so thanks for riding along. Don't forget Rampage is out now across the UK @rampagethemovie #Stonehenge #ad
6,422 Likes, 68 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "The last stop on my #Rampage around the UK was here at Stonehenge where I played around with the..."
I'm road-tripping around Arizona at the moment and on my way from Lake Havasu City to Route 66, I passed this quirky structure by the side of the road near Yucca. It's known locally as both the Arizona Death Star and the Golf Ball House. A huge housing development was planned here back in the 1970's and this place was going to be the glitzy restaurant in the heart of the development which also promised waterskiing and other attractions. However the project wasn't successful and in the end the Golf Ball House was the only structure that actually got built, so for years it sat lonely by the side of the road. The current (very friendly) owners opened a store next to the building, planted small aliens and various UFO's by the side of the road and renamed it Area 66 to attract visitors (Information found via @atlasobscura's website) @Visit_Arizona #MyAZTrip #VisitArizona
11.1k Likes, 90 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "I'm road-tripping around Arizona at the moment and on my way from Lake Havasu City to Route 66, I..."
I loved Wellington! We didn't get too long in the Capital but I managed to cram in the incredible @te_papa museum before riding the @wellingtoncablecar up the hill to find the Gardens Magic Festival. I ended the night in a few bars with the Topdeck gang. A buzzy day 🤙🏻 @topdecktravel #Topdecker #Ultimate49 #Wellington #NewZealand @Wellington_NewZealand
18k Likes, 245 Comments - @paperboyo on Instagram: "I loved Wellington! We didn't get too long in the Capital but I managed to cram in the incredible..."
See more recent work from paperboyo below as well as our previous coverage of McCor here and here.
Famous Landmarks Reimagined with Paper Cutouts
For the past few months, Rich McCor has been traveling around the world reimagining famous landmarks with paper cutouts. Starting with some research on the locations he visits, McCor shifts between finding instant inspiration and letting his subconscious drive his creations: "After doing the first few cut-outs, I think my brain learned to look for quirky shapes and ideas in architecture and everyday objects; it's a pretty good mental exercise."
Paperboyo Continues to Transform and Reimagine Architecture Around the World
Last year we covered the work of Rich McCor, aka paperboyo. Now, as his Instagram account approaches 170k+ followers, Rich tells ArchDaily how it all started, what keeps him going and how he's made his hobby into paid work. It began with one photo in London when I turned Big Ben into the London Eye.
