竹塔丨中国桂林丨Jiakun Architects

Architects:Jiakun Architects

Year:2024

Photographs:DONG Image,Arch-Exist,Han Shuang,Yangshuo Sugar House

Lead Architect:Liu Jiakun

Category:Temporary Installations

Client:Yangshuo Sugar House

City:Guilin

Country:China

Text description provided by the architects. The core burning installation "Bamboo Tower" for the 2024 Yangshuo Sugar House Bonfire Festival was designed by architect Liu Jiakun. This installation will serve as a continuation of the bamboo forests on both sides of the Li River, integrating local elements into the realm of the Sugar House.

Amidst the picturesque landscapes of Yangshuo, the bamboo forests along the Li River thrive, a result of Premier Zhou's suggestion during his inspection of the Li River in May 1960 to enhance greening on both sides of the river. Since then, a wave of bamboo planting has swept along the Li River's banks, with the bamboo forests there even becoming the backdrop for the 20-yuan banknote, spreading and flourishing throughout Yangshuo. Today, this directive to protect Guilin's landscapes has been passed down through generations, and the expansive bamboo forests, set against the backdrop of mountains and rivers, have become the most unique local landscape, perpetually safeguarding the area's pristine beauty.

The construction materials for the "Bamboo Tower" are derived from this natural growth. Adhering to the concept of environmental protection and utilizing local materials, architect Liu Jiakun used bamboo commonly used for making bamboo charcoal in Yangshuo as the raw material. Taking inspiration from the continuous and distinctive mountains formed by karst landforms as the shape of the fire tower, he constructed the installation. During the 2024 Sugar House New Year's Eve Art and Cultural Festival, this installation will guide more guests visiting the Sugar House to explore the beauty of the landscapes created by the natural sedimentation and the growth of all things.

"Bamboo Tower" for the 2024 Sugar House Bonfire Festival will be based on the riverside terrace of the Sugar House and will be erected at the end of the industrial trusses in the Sugar House pool area. This location lies on the central axis of the Sugar House's spatial layout, directing people's gazes towards the Li River and the continuous mountain scenery. The "Bamboo Tower" will serve as the foreground, the concrete truss structure on the site will become the frame, and the continuous mountain scenery of the Li River will form a natural backdrop. Through this layered composition, the burning installation will continue the natural growth, blending into the landscapes of Yangshuo and depicting a harmonious scene of coexistence between the installation and nature.

The Bamboo Tower consists of three parts: the structural main body, the movement mechanism, and the ignition device. The longest part of the Bamboo Tower is approximately 8.6 meters, with a width of about 6.6 meters and a height of 10 meters. The facade has an inclination angle of approximately 73.3°. The main body is based on a regular hexagonal pyramid shape, constructed by stacking bamboo layers and binding them together. The Bamboo Tower features doorways through which guests can enter its interior and view its internal structure from the bottom up. The interior of the Bamboo Tower presents a serialized structural beauty with its layered stacking.

During the Festival, the Bamboo Tower will be illuminated with lights every evening, and a bonfire will be lit beneath it, allowing guests at the Sugar House to gather inside the Bamboo Tower for warmth and conversation. Throughout the festival, artists will also conduct a series of art and cultural activities around the bonfire. Additionally, eight bamboo poles approximately 6 meters long will be inserted into the upper part of the Bamboo Tower. These poles will serve as the movement mechanism and, in conjunction with the final ignition device, will undergo movement changes and complete the ignition process on New Year's Eve.

This year's burning will adopt a more primitive approach, following the ancient tradition of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new in Chinese traditional culture. It will drive a series of movement changes in the core burning installation, revealing the cultural and historical significance of "bamboo" in traditional Chinese festive activities. With the core concepts of "using local materials, adopting local shapes, drawing metaphors from the passing year, and creating sounds from the materials," the "Bamboo Tower" will lead guests at the Sugar House to bid farewell to 2024 and welcome the brand-new year of 2025 with its unique burning method, paired with the dazzling fireworks by the Li River.

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