traditional bamboo scaffolding constructs temporary theater along chinese coast

Re-Enchantment Design builds a Temporary Coastal Theater

The Beach Temporary Theater is an 18-day outdoor installation designed by Re-Enchantment Design for Midsummer 2025, an annual cultural event that combines film, music, folk traditions, and contemporary art. Commissioned by KwanTeo, the project was developed as a temporary coastal space capable of accommodating multiple programs, including a theater, stage, exhibition area, and public garden.

The site is located along the coast of the Chaoshan region in Guangdong Province, China, an area characterized by distinct local customs, languages, and social practices. Since 2015, the surrounding area has undergone rapid transformation from farmland and villages into a resort-oriented development. Despite this shift, local villagers continue to access and use the beach daily, resulting in a shared environment occupied by residents, workers, and visitors. This condition informed the project’s aim to operate as a flexible public space that supports varied forms of use.

During preliminary field research, the design team identified a long-standing local construction method based on temporary bamboo sheds traditionally used for ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. These structures are lightweight, adaptable to coastal climate conditions, and designed for repeated assembly and reuse. Based on these findings, the project adopted bamboo as a primary material and invited local villagers with experience in this construction method to participate in the design and building process.

all images courtesy of ©Re-enchantment Design unless stated otherwise

Instant Squatter Hut Combines Vernacular and Industrial Design

Rather than replicating historical forms, the project by Re-Enchantment Design Studio extracts key spatial and structural characteristics of traditional squatter huts, including elevated stilted construction suited to land–water boundaries, open frameworks, and clustered settlement arrangements. These principles were reinterpreted through a hybrid system that combines industrial layer trusses with vernacular bamboo scaffolding. The steel truss system serves as the primary structural layer, providing stability under variable coastal weather conditions, including typhoons, while enabling rapid assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration. The bamboo scaffolding was constructed collaboratively with local builders and integrated as a secondary, adaptable layer. The spatial layout is organized through modular program units, including an open-air cinema, performance stage, leisure areas, pop-up retail spaces, and workshop zones. These elements are arranged to form an interconnected and permeable environment that supports overlapping activities and informal social interaction. The resulting configuration functions as a temporary public living space rather than a single-purpose venue.

Material reuse was incorporated as a core design strategy from the outset. All bamboo elements were planned for disassembly and collection after the event, allowing them to be reused by local builders for future constructions. By adopting the construction logic of temporary settlements, the project proposes a cyclical approach to material use and a symbiotic relationship between design intervention, local knowledge, and environmental context.

Through its integration of vernacular construction techniques, modular contemporary systems, and collaborative building processes, The Beach Temporary Theater presents a temporary architecture that engages with local practices while accommodating contemporary cultural programming. The project positions temporary design as a means of connecting local communities, visitors, and evolving coastal landscapes through shared spatial and material frameworks.

Beach Temporary Theater designed by Re-Enchantment Design for Midsummer 2025

multi-program space combining theater, stage, exhibition, and garden

built within a shared beach environment used by locals and visitors

hybrid system combines steel trusses and bamboo scaffolding | image courtesy of ©KwanTeo

modular layout supports cinema, performance, and public activities | image courtesy of ©KwanTeo

steel trusses provide structural stability in coastal weather

bamboo scaffolding forms a flexible, secondary structural layer

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traditional construction techniques

discussing the construction details with the villagers

design renders

design renders

local traditional opera troupes, rock bands, folk bands, and documentaries’ members | image by ©KwanTeo

field research

project info:

name: The Beach Temporary Theater

architect: Re-enchantment Design (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
lead designers: Ji Jing & Zhenlin Wen

location: Chaoshan, Guangdong Province, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom