woven steel-bamboo hybrid pavilion urges experience of ‘the self, the few and the many’

studio bloom captures the essence of hong kong‘s condition in their latest design – a woven steel-bamboo hybrid pavilion named ‘the self’. the concept is a highlighted entry of the hong kong young architects & designers competition 2017 which designboom reported launched in april calling for a temporary pavilion to be built in the west kowloon nursery park.

the concept is a highlighted entry of the hong kong young architects & designers competition 2017

bloom hopes entry for the competition, ‘Pavilion ONE’, encapsulates the different social thresholds, specifically in their design of the spatial experience. in entering, the user will experience three distinct stages known as ‘the self’, ‘the few’ and ‘the many’.

users can interact with the pavilion, either from within or the spaces both surrounding and on top of

‘the self’ is a shaded and enclosed quiet space with a focused source of light that hopes to encourage the contemplative introversion, ‘the few’ is described as an intimate space for the inner circle of family and friends, and ‘the many’ is a vibrant expoed interactive platform for the urban collective, where performances take place and crowds gather.

in entering, the user will experience three distinct stages known as ‘the self’, ‘the few’ and ‘the many’

by creating a spacial hierarchy the designers aim was to create a singular continuous gesture perpetuating the fluid transition of thresholds between personal, social and public space. their choice of bamboo was symbolic as the material has long been an invaluable resource in the construction of hong kong’s urban landscape, as well as for it’s material composition. bamboo has an incredible lightness, strength, and flexibility, celebrated in the pavilion where the material is weaved into a continuous bamboo-steel skin, varying in density to create different light porosities.

the woven skin wraps the main waffle structure to improve structural rigidity and lateral (wind) load bearing

‘hong kong is a city of multiplicity, diversity, and density’, comments bloom. ‘our perception of boundaries is constantly challenged as we coexist in environments with extreme fluctuations of crowdedness.’ the self. the few. the many. encapsulates this in one entity.

bamboo has long been an invaluable resource in the construction of hong kong’s urban landscape

‘hong kong is a city of multiplicity, diversity, and density’, comments bloom

the main materials can be reused and repurposed as individual elements

the designers aim was to create a singular continuous gesture perpetuating the fluid transition of thresholds between personal, social and public space.

the pavilion is approximately 50 meters wide by 10

the main materials selected are biodegradable and sustainably sourced