中国竹子八角亭丨中国成都丨Roarc Renew

Architect：Roarc Renew

Location：Chengdu, Sichuan, China; | ;View Map

Project Year：2023

Category：Exhibitions

“Upon accepting the project, the first thing in our thought is how to translate the proposition into architectural language, and build a building perfect for Chengdu and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li. Furthermore, as the service time of the temporary building comes to an end, we hope that the material used in the project can be fully recycled. Bamboo is the perfect material for us. They call bamboo the hair of the earth. It grows up in two to three years and the growth circle continues. Therefore bamboo is the most readily available materials and a bamboo building is the most environmentally friendly ones. "

It is a very fascinating experience to build a building with a triangular bamboo structure. In this project, we take the forms of Chinese characters "八"(eight) "人"(people) and "入"(entrance) as our inspiration, all of which are the most stable triangular structure with a left-falling stroke and right-falling stroke. The idea is to construct the building with bamboos.

As we know it will be a temporary building, we need also consider the consequences of the building after its service time. How to deal with it once it is no longer needed by the owner? For Roarc Renew, we want to recycle the building in the best possible way. For example, we design bamboo beam at the length of 550mm, which is the ideal height for an outdoor stool. The steel joints we used here can also be remolded in the factory. 

“We’d like the main components to be recyclable after the temporary building were dismantled.”

After figuring out the raw material for the temporary building, our next focus is to demonstrate the theme of the event with our design and construct the building.

“For designers, architecture is the presentation tool for him/her. It’s quite open when we refer to the forms of presentation. However, the designer should make it clear what he/she is trying to present to the world.”

1. Building with clear expression, character knows its form

Although it’s a temporary building, the original intention is to express the culture concept of the owner, so clear expression is the key for the building. As event theme “Strokes in Calligraphy, Column & Tie in Crisscross” was determined, the focus of the building is to inspire desire of expression from visitors by creating a touching culture atmosphere. So Chinese characters are definitely needed here. As we refer to Chinese characters of "八"(eight) "人"(people) and "入"(entrance), we can find that the three characters are all made up by left-falling stroke and right-falling stroke, which reflects the themes of the event "connection between people", "connection to the world" and " eight years of highlight". As we write the three Chinese characters, we can find that they are common in form of a stable triangle, which is also in compliance with mechanics principle of a building. Therefore, it’s natural for us to choose the triangle form constructing the building.

There were about 1,200 bamboo poles in the whole building, and the axonometric longitudinal beam is divided into 8 spans (7 bamboo beams + 1 steel ladder) in sequence. Each bamboo beam is formed by vierendeel truss system. The first bamboo beam overhangs a bracket beam, which present a posture of embracing outwards.  The " splayed steel ladder" at the end strengthens the order of the bamboo beams, implying a dialogue between the past (bamboo beams) and the present (steel beams). As it comes to construction practice, three sets of bamboo beams were plugged together to form each side of the splayed beam, which were assembled sequentially in the traditional bamboo structure with steel riveted nodes.

 Since the maximum length requirement of a beam is 14 meters, but the useful length of ordinary bamboo is only 5-6 meters. Therefore, three groups of carbonized curved bamboo beams were connected in sequence, and at the insertion points a "stroke" like traditional Chinese calligraphy is naturally formed: "a pause and a transition". We leave strokes there not deliberately but for a reason, in the construction process there forms an indispensable connecting node, and this node happens to be like strokes. Therefore, calligraphy adds to the cultural elements, forming a dialogue between traditional culture and architectural form, just like a dialogue between "shape and idea".

In the structure of the building, the strokes are arranged with different numbers of bamboo poles to achieve various stroke weight. The left-falling stroke are divided into 3 segments from top to bottom, the bamboo poles used decrease by the number of 8, 6, 5 for each section respectively from the top. The bamboo poles of the right-falling stroke start with 6 poles, then 8 poles and then 12 poles. The stroke weight was perfectly presented on the form of the building.

2. Column and Tie in Crisscross Traffic 

M+Park is near to Shamao Street in the west, which is an arterial road of the city. It is a famous destination, and a starting point in the road network of the city. What type of building is needed here? Roarc Renew thought it hard with considerations. Being different from other large tiled roofs in Taikoo Li, a 12.8m high bamboo and steel building stands in the center of M+Park. We expect it is an architecture with spiritual attribute, just like a flag that reconnects the world. Taking column and tie construction as the main framework, this building is naturally combined into the crisscross plane system. 

We take the columns and ties as the supporting carrier of the oblique beams. 

On the first floor, eight art spaces are set to be an arena for trends. On the second floor is a steel veranda, which leads to the terrace on the third floor. The terrace overlooks M+Park. Standing on the terrace of the third floor, visitors may look over the tablet of the holy Daci Temple in the north and modern Taikoo Li alleys in the west. Standing on the platform, it feels like a time channel from which you can experience both ancient and modern things. Column and tie construction forms another vertical crisscross system.

3. Modular Beams and Removable Bamboos and Steels

Roarc Renew makes bamboo beams into a modular system. Several bamboos were spliced together to become a bamboo framework, then a bamboo span and eventually bamboo beams. This bamboo modular system reflects our vision for the world. The world is composed of a huge number of microscopic things and human beings should always stay humble and modest in the presence of nature. We start from a bamboo, just like we build a sandcastle with sands and make ice from water drops. 

“We like modules, as they can realize our assumptions through wisdom and logic no matter how tiny they are. In this project, only modular pre-assembled bamboos can help complete the building in 15 days. ”

Steel bolts are used to connect bamboo poles and steel inserts are used to connect ranks of bamboo beams. In EMCC Yancheng Plant, 42 ranks of bamboo beams were prefabricated and delivered to Chengdu for final assembly on site.  Bamboo beams are erected in an open-frame truss structure. Cavity lightens girders, which helps in long-distance transportation and site assembly. 

[Road to Architecture of a Bamboo Pole]

a. Selection of bamboos: Bamboos are bambusoideae arboreal grass plants. They are grass family herbaceous plants. Due to its short growth cycle, it is a sort of environment friendly building materials with sustainable nature. This is also the reason why we use bamboos as the main material to construct the building. 

b. At maturity of bamboos, they can grow to a diameter of 8cm at the root and 4-5cm at the top and a total length of 6m. Then they become mature building materials. 

c. Bamboo poles are carbonized and hot bent. 

d. Bamboo poles are cross bound and fixed with traditional binding technique. We use steel pipes to replace bamboo tubes at certain part to enhance rigidity of the bamboo structures.  

e. Steel inserts are connectors for bamboo poles and it is also used to connect bamboo poles with ground. From the perspective of strength and deflection, steel inserts are the best connectors. Inserts make bamboo and steel system more beautiful, endurable and solid in the lightest way. 

4. Sustainable and Renewable Greenhouse Films and Bamboo Benches

There are three kinds of recyclable materials in the temporary building: 

a. Bamboo structures can be recycled as outdoor stools. 

b. Steel structures can be recycled by scrap mills. 

c. Silver films can be reused as cushions for the outdoor bamboo stools. 

We considered a lot when selecting greenhouse films. At last, we chose the semi-transparent film among nearly 10 film materials. In consideration of the cost, we use economic welding and scalding technology to finish the patchwork, realizing horizontal size of 1.3m and vertical size of 10m. The starting point and ending point are fixed with a 3mm steel rope, which is connected to the steel bots through hoop collars and tightened up through turnbuckles.

The greenhouse films enable this building to be a shelter from winds and storms. 

Being a bridge connecting the sky and the ground, the semi-transparent silver films reflect azure blue color to the building.

“Our original purpose of this design is that the building can be taken to anywhere around the world after accomplishment of its temporary mission.”

Upon expiration of the 20-day exhibition, Roarc Renew will turn raw material of the building into outdoor stools to accompany passersby on this land, which also fulfills the idea of sustainable development of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu. Or if possible, it may implement its another mission as a “building members” for certain park in the city of Chengdu. 

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