romain jacquet-lagrèze captures bamboo scaffolding workers hovering above hong kong

Echoing Above examines the bamboo scaffolding method

Echoing Above is a photographic monograph by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze documenting the practice of bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong. The series focuses on the structural and spatial qualities of this traditional construction method, highlighting its integration within the city’s dense urban fabric. The photographs capture various moments of the scaffolding process, emphasizing both the material logic and the construction techniques involved.

Bamboo scaffolding, particularly the type known as Fei Paang (飛棚, meaning ‘flying shed’), remains a distinct feature of renovation work in compact residential areas. Its application allows for targeted maintenance operations, such as air conditioning repair or vegetation removal from facades. The scaffolding is assembled directly onto building exteriors, often suspended at height, using minimal anchoring points. Workers move along narrow ledges and supports, while holding a long bamboo pole with a single hand.

recording the cultural dimensions of an evolving craft

This traditional construction method requires not only physical coordination but also an in-depth understanding of the forces at play. The temporary structures must balance flexibility and stability while adapting to irregular architectural forms. The documentation process by photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze often relies on locating active scaffolding zones by auditory cues like bamboo impacts, tool sounds, and worker communication.

The photographic series serves as a record of a practice that continues to function under specific environmental and spatial constraints. It examines the aesthetic, structural, and cultural dimensions of an evolving craft embedded within Hong Kong’s urban context.

project info:

name: Echoing Above
photographer: Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze | @romainjacquetlagreze