Scaffolds and protective coverings have become a near-permanent fixture in the historic centers of Europe’s metropolises. Clinging to classical architecture like a chrysalis to its host, they mask ongoing transformations, reminding us that cities are never static but constantly evolving. These structures—temporary by design yet omnipresent—invite us to question what lies beneath and the nature of the change they obscure.

By day, they serve their utilitarian purpose, blending into the background of urban life. But as night falls and construction crews disperse, they undergo a quiet metamorphosis. Under artificial light, these mundane forms take on a sculptural presence—monumental, ethereal, and strangely theatrical. The interplay of harsh sodium and fluorescent illumination with deep shadows creates a striking dichotomy: the permanence of history juxtaposed against the transience of renovation.

Beyond their material function, these coverings embody the growing influence of globalized tourism on the urban landscape. As historic districts are repackaged to fit the expectations of visitors, entire cities are reshaped into curated experiences, balancing preservation with spectacle. Yet the scaffolds and sheeting—so essential to this process—are rarely acknowledged, excluded from the tourist’s photo album and collective memory.

Nylon Chrysalis reclaims these overlooked structures, transforming them from intrusive obstructions into integral elements of the cityscape. Capturing their fleeting presence, the series envisions an alternative urban landscape—one that, like Italo Calvino’s imagined city of Thekla in Invisible Cities, exists in a state of perpetual construction, where scaffolds and coverings are not merely interruptions but defining features of the city itself.