Nicholas Rougeux: Mengermania – Level 3 / Level 4 at 0.25%

Nicholas Rougeux likes Menger sponges. You know, the classic fractal shape created by Karl Menger, the one that gains an infinitely large surface area as it is iterated. The sponge has long been a favorite with computer graphics enthusiasts, but Rougeux does them one better. He builds Menger sponges as Origami sculptures using index cards.

Back in 2003 Rougeux built a level 3 sponge with over 66 thousand units (see image), taking over 7 months. This time he plans to build a level 4 version, a substantially more ambitious project that will entail 1.2 million units. So far he is at 0.29%, with 3774 units built. You can follow his progress and see more images over at Mengermania.

The Mengermania site also has a handy About section, giving more details about the sponge, as well as instructions about how to build one yourself. Definitely a way of impressing your friends. After all, the final result is very attractive.