Designed and built by University of St Joseph (Macau SAR) third-year undergraduate architecture students, the Bloom Pavilion is a temporary structure located on a pier at the edge of Sai Van Lake. Constructed from split bamboo rods and volumetric fabric panels, the pavilion comprises three woven basket “trunks” that merge into an overhead canopy. The tallest of the trunks emerges from the lake, while other two sit on the pier. Visitors weave their way around the trunks, one of which may be entered. Cumulatively, these elements create an ambiguous spatial experience that merges land, water, and sky. A computer-controlled LED lighting system wraps the trunks, synchronized with a sound installation from hidden speakers.

The students designed Bloom Pavilion over one semester, moving back and forth between digital models, physical models, and full-scale prototypes. After sourcing materials from Macau and mainland China then undergoing a training session with local bamboo workers, the students spent one week assembling it on site. By applying advanced parametric software techniques to vernacular construction methods and materials, the pavilion is intended as a reinterpretation of the local building culture and simultaneously a response to the iconic architectural forms and dynamic lighting effects that define Macau’s contemporary visual identity.

Project Details

Name: Bloom Pavilion

Location: Sai Van Lake, Macau SAR, China.

Design: Third-year undergraduate architecture students from the University of St Joseph (Ao Un I, Jackie Chao, Choi Man Tak, Eloa Defly, Im Chon Kit, Claire Alexis May S. Jurado, Kam U Leng, Lei Wai Kuan, Ma Choi Peng, Ma Ka U, Ng Ka Wai, David Spilka, Yana Stepanenko, Tam Ian Kan, Sophia Yuen) led by guest professors Jason Dembski and João Palla.

Sound installation: João Cordeiro and Álvaro Barbosa

Dates: 24 May–7 June 2014.

Support: Macau Foundation and Traxon Technologies.