three angular canopies echo traditional oil-paper umbrellas in cheng tsung feng's installation

Hakka oil-paper umbrella transforms into architectural pavilion

All Together Under the Umbrella is a large-scale installation by artist Cheng Tsung FENG that transforms the symbolic Hakka oil-paper umbrella into an architectural structure of three interconnected canopies. The work, standing in Qingpu Park No. 11, Taiwan, explores themes of gathering, protection, and shared space through spatial interpretation of traditional craft.

In Hakka culture, the oil-paper umbrella represents unity, reunion, and destiny. Its Chinese character, 傘, contains repeated figures of ‘person’ 人, symbolizing human connection and interdependence. Drawing from this linguistic and cultural foundation, FENG expands the umbrella into a set of three radiating forms that merge craft tradition with contemporary spatial design.

all images by FIXER Photographic Studio

Cheng Tsung FENG examines the umbrella’s form as a shared space

The installation’s design process began with a detailed study of the Hakka umbrella’s structure, its ribs, proportions, and joint mechanisms. By deconstructing and reconfiguring these components, artist Cheng Tsung FENG developed a new system of interlaced umbrella frames that form a continuous overhead canopy. The result is a semi-enclosed environment defined by rhythm, repetition, and structural clarity. At the center of the installation lies a small pocket garden surrounded by circular wooden benches, establishing a connection between human activity and natural growth. The canopy itself is made of perforated canvas, allowing light and air to filter through. During the day, it produces a shifting pattern of shadows; at night, it emits a gentle luminosity, and in the rain, its angled planes channel water away in a functional echo of the traditional umbrella.

From a central axis, the three canopy forms extend outward, creating a geometric configuration that changes with the viewer’s position. The space functions as both a shelter and a site of encounter, where material craft and architectural composition converge. Through this installation, All Together Under the Umbrella, elements of Hakka heritage are reinterpreted into a contemporary spatial framework that invites collective experience and reflection.

All Together Under the Umbrella reimagines the Hakka oil-paper umbrella as an architectural structure

three interconnected canopies form the core of Cheng Tsung FENG’s large-scale installation

the installation explores ideas of gathering, shelter, and human connection

circular wooden benches create a link between human presence and nature

a small pocket garden occupies the center of the installation

deconstructed and reconfigured ribs form a new interlaced canopy system

the perforated canvas canopy filters light and air through its surface

in the rain, angled planes channel water away, echoing the umbrella’s function

at night, the structure glows softly like a lantern

the three canopy forms shift in appearance as viewers move through the space

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project info:

name: All Together Under the Umbrella

artist: Cheng Tsung FENG | @chengtsungfeng

location: Qingpu Park No. 11, Qingpu Exhibition Zone, Taoyuan, Taiwan

dimensions: 10.2×10.5×10.1 m
materials: wood, canvas, lacquered iron, LED lighting

adviser: Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City Council
organizer: Taoyuan Department of Cultural Affairs, World Hakka Expo
curator: Feng Design

project designer: Hsu Chan-Wei, Wang Sheng
structural analysis: Chien Chuan Engineering Consulting Co.
woodwork: Weige Interior
lighting design: Oude Light
lighting engineer: Beamtec Lighting

photographer: FIXER Photographic Studio | @fixer_photographic_studio