atelier heimat crafts burning perforated wooden installation for theater festival in china

Fire Wings lights up for Aranya Theater Festival

Fire Wings by Atelier Heimat is a bonfire installation standing along the seaside in Beidaihe’s new district, Qinhuangdao, China, becoming one of the standout highlights of this year’s Aranya Theater Festival. Drawing inspiration from the ancient ‘ant kiln burning’ traditions of southern China’s Chaozhou-Shantou region, the design embodies the interplay of fire and structure—contact, fusion, and separation.

Situated at the end of the festival’s coastal parade, the bonfire serves as the culmination of the evening’s celebrations. Positioned between festival walkways and the open sea, it occupies a stunning natural setting, though one subject to shifting sands, strong winds, and occasional rain. Marking a departure from previous years, Fire Wings introduces an architectural perspective to the festival’s bonfire tradition. Designed as an architectural structure rather than a sculpture, the installation explores the cultural and symbolic depth of fire as a celebratory and ritualistic medium.

Atelier Heimat experiments with fire and structure

The design team’s vision reinterprets the ‘ant kiln burning’ ritual, showcasing the transformative states of fire and its interaction with materials. The result is a layered visual journey that evokes diverse emotions and sensory experiences as the bonfire evolves. With fire involved, the installation is defined by its stages: before burning, during burning, and after burning. By day, the installation stands as a striking geometric form, with its perforated black shell hinting at the glowing orange interior. During burning, flames ignite within, casting dynamic silhouettes through the outer shell, evoking the image of a lantern. The fire consumes the structure, transforming it into a breathtaking, roaring inferno. As the fire subsides, embers fall, and the structure transitions to a state of quiet dissolution. After burning, a delicate steel skeleton remains, surrounded by the night sky, ocean, and occasional lightning—a poetic conclusion to the spectacle.

steel framework holds up wooden panel shell

The installation’s thoughtful design incorporates both visual appeal and functional elements for controlled combustion. Its foundation is anchored in the sand with steel plates and legs filled with ballast for stability. A modular truss system constructed from threaded steel and rebars in four interconnected units shapes the steel framework. The outer shell features perforated wooden panels layered with orange fabric enhancing visual depth. A central steel cylinder serves as the core ignition point. Spanning 8m x 6m and standing 7m tall, the structure is both monumental and ephemeral, blending into its coastal environment.

Fire Wings transcends entertainment to become a vessel of cultural memory. By elevating fire into a symbolic form, the installation bridges past and present, celebrating the universal human connection to fire as energy, art, and ritual. Ephemeral Fire Wings kindles a communal spirit, leaving an indelible mark long after the flames fade into the night.

project info:

name: Fire Wings
designer: Atelier Heimat

location: Beidaihe new district, Qinhuangdao, China

client: Aranya Theater Festival, Migratory Bird 300

principals in charge: Zhang Dong Guang, Liu Wenjuan

design team: Zhou Ying, Xing Dong, Ma Tianyang (drawings)

collaborating artist: Ren Shuang Structural

consultant: Zhang Zhun

construction management: Zhang Changhai, Li Yang, Bai Huanyi

curators: Liu Chang, Zhu Sha

photography: Lv Xiaobin, Zyfoto, staronly entertainment

video: Gao Tianxia

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