Floating Staircase Sculptures Made with Wire Look Like 3D Architecture Sketches

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

Last year we introduced you to the surreal architectural wire sculptures of Barcelona-based David Moreno. Describing his process as “drawing with sculpture,” his 3D works made from wire mimic scribbly line drawings. Continuing this technique, Moreno’s latest pieces are inspired by grand cathedral doorways and staircases.

Starting out as frantic cross-hatched sketches, Moreno uses hundreds of steel rods and piano wire in varying lengths to create his surreal architectural scenes. The overlapping material is welded together to mimic their free-hand pencil origins. Hanging on gallery walls or from the ceiling, Moreno’s pieces are often lit by spotlights, which create long, soft shadows that contrast with the hard vertical lines. This effect provides even greater depth to the “micro-atmospheres” he creates.

Fragile, floating staircases—painted in silver and gold—connect intriguing doorways to unknown lands. To Moreno, these connections signify bonds in human relationships: he sees human energy as a series of interconnected lines.

Moreno’s work has been exhibited around the world, including Istanbul’s Contemporary International Art Fair. You can explore more of Moreno’s surreal wire worlds on Instagram.

Artist David Moreno turns architectural pencil sketches into 3D wire sculptures.

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

Floating staircases connect cathedral doorways to unknown worlds.

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

3D Sketch Sculptures by David Moreno

David Moreno: Instagram | Behance

All images via David Moreno.

Related Articles:

Surreal Architectural Sculptures Mimic the Hectic Lines of Quick Pencil Sketches

People Draw Bicycles from Memory and Designer Turns Them into 3D Renderings

3D Wire Bird Sculptures Look Incredibly Like 2D Drawings

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Staff Writer and Video Editor at My Modern Met. She earned a BA in Fashion and Textile Design at the University of Ulster in Belfast. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lived in Berlin for many years, where she fostered a career in the arts, dabbling in everything from illustration and animation to music and ceramics. She now calls Edinburgh home, where she continues to work as a writer, illustrator, and ceramicist. Her ceramics, often combined with hand-painted animation frames, capture playful scenes that celebrate freedom and movement, and blend her passion for art with storytelling. Her illustrations have been featured in The Berliner Magazine as well as other print magazines and a poetry book.
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