junya ishigami spreads brick ‘rainbow carpet’ across canal in thailand

junya ishigami unveils ‘rainbow carpet’ made of bricks

on the occasion of the 2021 thailand biennale, japanese architecture firm junya ishigami introduces ‘rainbow carpet’, an arched brick installation spreading across a canal in nakhon ratchasima, thailand. the structure spreads thinly like a carpet, covering an area of 2310 sqm and billowing up from the ground to a height of five meters as if floating above the water. 

all images © junya ishigami + associates

an arc like a rainbow

the structure by junya ishigami (find more here) will be made of bricks sewn together with wire. holes will be carved in the bricks, and steel wire of 1 cm diameter will be passed through them, fastening the pieces together and reinforcing the arched construction. the resulting volume takes shape as a very thin arc like a rainbow, floating lightly as if wafted by the breeze. meanwhile, a series of large holes punctured through this vast membrane will offer views of the water below.

the rainbow carpet will offer locals the opportunity to distance themselves from the bustle of the city, and relax for a while. beneath the carpet, individuals will take refuge from the intense sunlight, gazing upon the sky from the canal bank and enjoying the light streaming down, in the comfortable embrace of the shade. with its light yet notable presence, the rainbow carpet membrane will serve as a new public landscape for the city of nakhon ratchasima. 

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project info: 

name: rainbow carpet
architects: junya ishigami + associates
lead architect: junya ishigami
project leader: masayuki asami
project manager: laura pasquier

client: OCAC, office of contemporary art and culture, ministry of culture

consultant: jun sato structural engineers co., ltd., structural

executive architect: makeascene

constructor: zenith dec-con

location: art gallery and exhibition, nai mueang, nakhon ratchasima, thailand

total area: 2310 sqm