This bamboo pavilion, located in Peitian Village, in Pujian Province, a province on the southeast coast of mainland China, was designed by Irish designer and architect Donn Holohan and his team in 2017. It was constructed using the traditional Chinese technique of bamboo weaving, which was normally used on a smaller scale. The project consisted in the integration of this ancient tradition, which uses the local cultural material of bamboo, with more modern digital design methods. The “Sun Room,” as the building is named, is meant to function as a shelter for villagers working the land during the hot growing season.
The structure is also inspired by Peitian Village’s tea house construction concept, something that has gone slowly out of style due to the increased accessibility of brick and concrete materials, which are easier to build with. In such modern ways of construction, fewer people are needed. Part of the intent of this project, then, was also to attempt to bring the entire community together in order to build the pavilion. Through their involvement, the community grows stronger, and traditional methods of construction are passed on to the younger generations.
The 20 square meter structure is almost sculptural in its interior, and will certainly bring relief to many from the overbearing sun during China’s hot season.
