Wooden Skyline

The artworks of Floris Hovers are sold for high prices through galleries and fairs. With this set you can build your own Floris Hovers skyline!
Wooden skylines, cities made of wood and wooden toy cities have been an integral part of modern and classic interiors for years. These minimalist, timeless objects are popular with both children and adults. They bring atmosphere, evoke nostalgia and tell something about who you are and where you come from. In this article, we answer all relevant questions surrounding this topic, including the success of Floris Hovers, the motivations behind the purchase of wooden cities, their decorative value and the distinction between toys and design objects. Using insights from well-known designers, providers and trends, we discuss who these wooden cities are for, what the functions and styles are and why they are so popular. You will also find current trends, facts and answers to frequently asked questions about the wooden city, wooden skyline and toy city made of wood.

What is a wooden city or wooden skyline?

A wooden city or skyline is a decorative object made of wood, in which the characteristic contours of a city or an imaginative city are depicted with the help of lasers, saws or milling. You can find them in many forms: as wall art, standing objects, playsets, and even as part of interactive art projects. Wooden skylines are now a popular gift and can be seen worldwide as stylish eye-catchers in homes and public spaces.

• Wall decoration and skyline: often a long, narrow plank (e.g. 70 or 100 cm long) in which the recognizable shapes of, for example, Amsterdam, Rotterdam or New York are incorporated.
• Toy City: Colorful blocks and minimalist shapes that allow kids to build and adults marvel at the composition and simplicity of design.
• Design object: from handmade art to lasered, personalized skylines or even wooden city maps. Some skylines are designed as a complete wooden city made of wood and are real collector's items. The use of materials also varies from raw birch plywood, beech wood, and poplar wood to plexiglass and waste wood.

Why does Floris Hovers design skylines and wooden cities?

Floris Hovers (1976), Dutch designer and artist, is known for his simplified, colourful designs that bring together play, nostalgia and architecture. His motivation to design skylines and wooden cities is deep-rooted:

• Essence and simplicity: Hovers wants to leave out the superfluous, leaving only the essence of the recognizable shape, color and soul of a city.
• Playfulness and fantasy: In all his work he wants to give room for imagination. His cities and skylines are deliberately not too detailed, so that people (young and old) can give their own interpretation.
• Miniature architecture: With a family of carpenters and builders in his background, Hovers sees cities as miniature architecture: clear constructions that are recognizable, but leave room for imagination.
• Ode to collective memory: His work appeals to memory: everyone recognizes a bridge, tower or house, but fills it in themselves.

According to Hovers, there is a special dimension in his wooden city: between 2D and 3D, the so-called '2.5D'. This means that his skylines are graphic in nature, but the thickness of the wood and the layered colour applications create depth. Each piece arises spontaneously; He just starts building, similar to improvising a composer. This creates a unique skyline of wood, which can be both a work of art and a toy city.

That is why Floris Hovers' wooden cities and skylines are popular in museum collections, children's rooms and stylish living rooms. Autonomous works are available at Gallery Untitled, PostModern, Wonderwood Store and galleries in the Netherlands and Belgium. His skylines, which are made in series, are only available at IKONIC.

Why do people choose a city made of wood as decoration?

• Warmth and atmosphere: Wood is a natural material that brings warmth and tranquility to the home. A wooden skyline or play city balances sleek design with a homely atmosphere.
• Personal meaning: With a skyline of your hometown, favorite holiday destination or hometown, you give a personal touch to your interior. It is a piece of identity or a memory on the wall.
• Calm, modern look: Wooden cities fit with almost any interior style due to their minimalism: Scandinavian, industrial, modern or bohemian.
• Sustainability: Many providers work with FSC or PEFC-approved wood and replant trees. It is a sustainable alternative to plastic decoration.
• Variation: Wooden cities come in all shapes and sizes: from the wall to the windowsill, in light and dark wood types or strikingly colored.
• Tangibility and nature experience: Wood feels pleasant, smells good and empathizes with the environment. Especially for people who want to bring nature into their homes, a wooden city is an ideal decorative object.

Moreover, the charm of the wooden skyline and the city of wood lies in the craft: every skyline of wood is slightly different, which makes mass production less obvious. So you really get something personal and unique. These wooden cities are also often used in business environments, such as waiting rooms and offices, to enhance the atmosphere and make visitors feel welcome immediately.

Popular shapes and styles of wooden cities

• Wall decoration: The skyline as a narrow frame above the sofa, upon entering the hall or above the bed.
• Standing skyline: Smaller skylines for the sideboard or as a desk accessory, often between 30 and 50 cm.
• Toy City/Block City: Sets of wooden blocks like the 'Archetoys' by Floris Hovers, intended for play or admiration. They are playful representations of buildings, towers, bridges and houses that can be built to your own taste. This makes them an ideal gift for a new home or child birth.
• Interior art: Large, handmade objects or unique combinations with other materials, such as concrete, metal or different types of wood. It is precisely this combination that creates a fascinating contrast in modernly furnished houses.
• Personalized skyline: Many creators offer customization: your village, your street, your colors. Having your own skyline made of wood is becoming increasingly popular as a personal business gift or company keepsake. Even company buildings and schools are immortalized as wooden skylines.

The possibilities are endless and the range is becoming increasingly wider, so that wooden cities and skylines made of wood offer something for everyone.

Is the wooden city of Floris Hovers for children or adults?

Floris Hovers' wooden cities are attractive to both groups , and that is exactly the strength of his designs:

• Children: Build, stack, develop motor skills and let the imagination run wild. Children have fun repeating patterns and creating their own fantasy skyview: an educational toy city that stimulates creativity.
• Adults: Enjoying design, architecture, color composition and nostalgia. Many adult collectors appreciate it as an art object or design statement. The fact that  Hovers' Archetoys were recorded at the MoMA in New York and are loved by families underlines the versatility.
• Building together: Thanks to its simplicity and quality, the wooden city is a connecting object between generations. Grandparents give them as gifts to grandchildren, young parents choose them for the nursery, design lovers place them in the living room next to art objects.

In practice, these cities are in children's rooms as well as in living rooms and offices. This universal character is a big part of its appeal and explains why the wooden city and wooden skyline are so timeless.

How is a wooden skyline or wooden city made?

Making a wooden city or skyline out of wood is a precise craft where technique and creativity come together:

• Laser cutting: For tight contours, computer-controlled laser cutters are often used. This allows for highly detailed skylines that are recognizable down to the smallest details.
• Handicrafts: Some wooden skylines are traditionally cut and sanded by hand. This gives each city made of wood a unique character.
• Finish: After cutting, wooden skylines are often gently sanded and treated with oil, lacquer or wax for protection and a beautiful appearance.
• Sustainable materials: More and more work is being done with local, PEFC or FSC-certified wood. This contributes to the sustainable image of wooden cities.

Facts, figures and trends around the wooden city and skyline made of wood

• Growing supply: Hundreds of providers are now active worldwide. There is a wooden version of every city. However, Floris Hovers' skylines are one of the few abstract skylines.
• Price range: Small models of a skyline made of wood cost an average of 30-50 euros. Large, unique or custom-made wooden skylines go up to 200 euros. Works of art can easily run up to 1000 euros or more.
• Sustainability: Many suppliers plant trees for every wooden city sold, the product is almost always CO2 neutral (if certified).
• Market growth: The market is growing strongly for both private and business people. Business premises are also presented as wooden skyline on facades and in reception areas.
• Museum and design prizes: Floris Hovers' work has been included in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and MoMA New York. The Netherlands is a global leader in the design, design and construction of wooden skylines and toy cities.

Comparison: city of wood versus other decorations and toys

Compared to metal, plastic or canvas skyline decorations, wood offers many advantages:

• Softness: Wood is warm, soft and homely. It is safe for children and pleasant to touch.
• Environmental friendliness: Wood is a sustainable, renewable product. Unlike plastic, it is produced without harmful substances.
• Safety: Wooden toy city does not contain small, loose parts that are dangerous for children.
• Lifespan: A wooden skyline can last for decades without losing quality, often becoming more beautiful with time.

Toys & art: The wooden city is suitable as a toy and as a design object thanks to its simplicity and robustness. You see them in museums and children's rooms.

In addition, the interactive aspect is important: skylines and cities made of wood can be moved, rearranged, or even built together with your children. This makes a wooden city or skyline unique compared to, for example, canvas or metal wall decoration.

Frequently asked questions about wooden cities and skylines

Why does Floris Hovers design skylines? To capture the essence of a city and give room for imagination and play, both for children and adults, with a graphic, minimalist design (see above).

• Why do people choose a wooden city as decoration? Because of atmosphere, nostalgia, personality, sustainability and the calm, homely appearance.
• Is the wooden city of Floris Hovers for children or adults? For both: children play with it, adults appreciate it as an art and design object. Playing, building or admiring together is central.
• What is the difference between a wooden skyline and a city made of wood? A wooden skyline mainly emphasizes the profile, the characteristic buildings; a city made of wood can be three-dimensional, as a building set or composition.
• Can you personalize wooden skylines? Yes, you can often have a skyline made of your own city, street or house.
• Are wooden skylines durable? With certified providers, certainly: use of responsible wood, replanting, local production, sometimes CO2 compensation.

Conclusion: why is the wooden city so alive?

Wooden cities and skylines are more than a trend – they are an amalgamation of personal history, local feel, design, sustainability and play value. Thanks to designers such as Floris Hovers and providers such as IKONIC, they are conquering more and more living rooms and museums worldwide.

Whether you hang a skyline on the wall as decoration, build a wooden play city with children, or collect a design object, the essence remains the same: a tribute to simplicity, imagination and connection with a place. In this way, the wooden city fills a deeper need, for recognition, memory and playful life for young and old.