Bamboo spirals and twists in beguiling forms! Urban Park Micro Renovation by Atelier cnS + School of Architecture, South China University of Technology presents a multitude of exhilarating wavy structures composed of bamboo. From early 2019, cn°S has been involved in projects like Changqi Bamboo Corridor and the Huanglong Waterfront Bamboo Corridor. By 2020, the firm got commissioned by the Beijiao Town Government and they designed two art installations in the Xianmo Flower Field Landscape Park.
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After completion, the team led to craft the Flower Pavilion and the Embrace Pavilion in the Xianmo Flower Field Landscape Park. Atelier cnS have thus iterated and evolved bamboo structures from 1.0 to 4.0 in rapports of form logic and construction essentials.
The designers integrated structural mechanics and sculpted form using various tactics. Exploring a shell-shaped basic model for the 1.0 Changqi Bamboo Corridor, the designers arrayed four shell-like wings shading spaces for the court, composing the most active surrounding in the village. In the 2.0 Huanglong Waterfront Bamboo Corridor, 5 shell-like shapes explore two directions to deform and reconnect, weaving a shelter between the village square and the riverway. In the 3.0 and 4.0 Flower Pavilion and Embrace Pavilion in Xianmo Flower Field, they forayed further, inviting numerous possibilities for different space usage that enrich the shell form and the experience.
These structures of the Urban Park Micro Renovation have efficiently incorporated into each of their communal spaces, improving the functionality and service of the space. A civic park with blooming flowers and a caressing pavilion knitting a lovely environment to sit and cherish with your loved ones. These structures invited more visitors to come and spend their quality time along with nature and embrace life. The sheltered space woven by bamboo-structured landscape pavilions also enables minor events to engender along with a sightseeing experience. Independently, the bamboo pavilions compose a rich spatial experience and proliferate as an iconic image of the place.
The 3.0 and 4.0 versions of the bamboo pavilion, the Flower and Embrace Pavilion ensued the basic logic of combining “shell-like” shape on the design of the Changqi Bamboo Corridor and the Huanglong Waterfront Bamboo Corridor. A spiral line takes the lofting control line to form the rhythm of the Flower Pavilion’s crafting a spatial hierarchy that alters. Embrace Pavilion weaves two groups of reverse shell-like shapes seamed end to end to contrive a closed loop. A three-dimensional two-way curved surfaces cantilever on the structure spanning 12m. The designers changed scales of form, thus emulating a large-scale stage and a small-scale waterfront viewing deck formed with a dramatic spatial twist.
The bamboo material infused with construction logic expanded the entire series, espousing a curved cantilevered bamboo to planning a shell-like profile, combined with traditional bamboo weaving skills, and roof cladding woven with bamboo strips overlay by palm tree bark. The application of palm tree bark, inspired by straw rain cape coat, displayed a breakthrough in exposing the structural expression of the bamboo pavilion.
The palm tree bark improved weather resistance, also the palm roof configured in analogous modules created a sense of rhythm similar to the traditional tile roof. Palm tree bark incorporates the traditional fixing method of coir rope stitching. The designers adapted to a faster mode of modular prefabrication to sew the tree bark as modular square units, and then connected and trimmed.
The construction manager Fang Chun proposed to source the material locally, thus ensuing an anti-poverty project, participating villagers in processing and production. Breeze Pavilion, a steel art installation, adopts a simple t composition logic, integrating an elliptical interface to alternate around the axis and form a channel space. As you walk through, you can naturally feel the variation of light and shadow and the twist of space, leaving a long-lasting impression on the visitor’s mind. The concept of wind chimes further enhances the interaction about the pavilion. Visitors can toggle the wind chimes to fashion a beautiful scene with mesmerising sound waves.
After completion of the bamboo pavilions, each with its intriguing oeuvre, manoeuvres across the fascinating landscapes. A place to rest, explore, entertain and refresh. Therefore, the flower field of Xianmo gathered more popularity. It also held 2021 Beijiao Town’s cultural and sports activities launching ceremony and other events. Everyone defines and construes the story in each scene of space, narrowing down the relationship between each other. Urban Park Micro Renovation indeed takes a step beyond expectations.
Project Details
Architects: Atelier cnS, School of Architecture, South China University of Technology
Area: 480 m²
Photographs: Siming Wu, cnS
Lead Architects: Guanqiu Zhong, Hairui Lin, Wenhao Zhang
Lead Designers: Guanqiu Zhong, Gang Song, Zhiyuan Zhu
Design Team: Hairui Lin, Wenxuan Huang, Li Yang, Longyuan Lu, Zhanchong Deng, Hang Zhao
Lead Teacher: Guanqiu Zhong
Student Team: Wenhao Zhang, Wenchu Zhang, Yuhao Huang, Zhixian Tan, Xinyue Gu, Longyuan Lu
Client: Government of Beijiao Town, Foshan City
Location: Foshan, China
