Flamingo Bamboo Pavilion / BambuBuild

Architects: BambuBuild
Area: 113 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs: Hoang Le
Manufacturers: Bambubuild
City: Phúc Yên
Country: Vietnam

The Flamingo Bamboo Pavilion, designed by BambuBuild, was initially created for a tourism fair with a focus on low cost, lightweight materials, and ease of transport. Bamboo, a traditional and eco-friendly material, was chosen for its strength and ease of construction by low-skilled workers. To address the challenge of curved bamboo, curved steel poles were used to support the structure. The pavilion features four symmetrical ruled surfaces, with the steel poles acting as directrices and bamboo as the surface generators, creating a bird-wing shape. After being used in various exhibitions, the pavilion was adapted into a bar for a resort in Northern Vietnam, with a roof added to integrate it with the natural surroundings. Despite its small size, the pavilion showcases bamboo’s versatility and sustainability.

The Flamingo Bamboo Pavilion was initially designed as an indoor exhibition space to promote resorts at a tourism fair. Given the limited timeframe for the fair, the client requested the architect to create a pavilion that was low-cost, lightweight, easy to transport, and convenient to disassemble and reuse multiple times.

In this context, bamboo was the ideal solution as a traditional material widely used in Vietnam. It is also an eco-friendly option. Despite its light weight, bamboo is extremely strong and can be easily constructed by workers with minimal skills.

Unlike steel, curved bamboo poles tend to straighten when standing alone, making it challenging to work with them quickly and accurately. As a result, curved steel poles were used in this case. The pavilion’s main structure consists of four ruled surfaces that are symmetrical in both the front and side elevations. The curved steel poles serve as the guiding framework, while the straight bamboo poles function as the generators of the ruled surfaces.

This combination of materials and design creates the appearance of a bird’s wings, which the client found particularly fitting as their resorts are named “Flamingo,” after the wading bird known for its bright pink feathers. After being displayed at several exhibitions, the client decided to repurpose the pavilion for use at their resort.

The client requested the addition of a roof to transform the pavilion into a small, open space that blends harmoniously with the beautiful natural scenery of a resort in northern Vietnam. The pavilion now serves as a bar, situated next to a swimming pool and a restaurant. Despite its compact size, the Flamingo Bamboo Pavilion highlights the versatility and reusability of bamboo when thoughtfully designed.