Project: Fish-Joy Bamboo Pavilion
Award: Small Spaces, Bronze, 2022
Location: Yangzhou, China
Architect: SUP Atelier of THAD (Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University)
Client: International Bamboo and Rattan Organization
This eye-catching pavilion in the shape of a fish is made entirely from bamboo, and formed part of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization’s Garden at the horticultural Expo in Yangzhou, which took place over six months in 2021. It pays tribute to traditional Chinese culture while at the same time showcasing bamboo’s environmentally-friendly credentials. Modern processing techniques have significantly increased the durablity of this renewable and fast-growing material which is used widely in China, the world’s largest bamboo producer.
Design highlights
Shaped to look like a fish’s arching back, the pavilion features a series of arcs which vary in size to create a pleasingly curved fish like shape. Visitors enter through the large head and exit through the fish’s tail – the two openings helping to boost natural ventilation, essential during the area’s humid spring and summer climate. Inside the natural beauty of the golden bamboo structure is exposed – the intricately interwoven pieces look like the upturned keel of a ship.
Photo credit: Chu Yingnan
- ARCHITECTS: Xie Dan, Chu Yingnan, Sun Jingfen, Kuang Tianyu, Ouyang Yang, Ma Shiyu