the nomadic museum, in the zócalo, mexico city was the largest bamboo structure ever created.
the structure occupied 5,130-square meters (55,218 square feet) containing two galleries and three distinct theaters.

earlier this month the principal 2009 prince claus award of 100,000 euro was awarded
to colombian architect simón vélez. the award which supports culture and development
have been given every year since 1997 to artists, intellectuals and cultural organisations
in africa, asia, latin america and the caribbean. the official ceremony will take place
on december 16, 2009.


bamboo structure by simón vélez for a campus in south america

simón vélez is known for his aesthetic and technical innovations in bamboo which
have enhanced the material construction potential and challenged mainstream
architectural trends.

after completing his studies at universidad de los andes, bogota, vélez moved away
from the predominant international stream to focus on indigenous architectural practices.
he invented a new method to build foundations and roofs, which transformed one of
the world’s oldest building materials, namely bamboo, into a modern resource that
meets the strictest international construction regulations and can even outperform steel.


a dome constructed with bamboo


simon velez stands beneath a dome he is building from bamboo that will be the future site of a supermarket in girardot, colombia
image daily mail


18 meter high tower, built in mangroves using bamboo as part of the national coffee park


prototype for the zeri pavillion

for expo hanover 2000, he designed and constructed a 2000-square-meter bamboo pavilion
for ZERI (zero emissions research initiative). he recently participated in designing crosswaters
ecolodge, the first ecotourism destination in china in the forests of nankun shan mountain
reserve, in the guangdong province.