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Thursday, 8 September 2011

Architecture of Bamboo – The German-Chinese House at the EXPO 2010 Shanghai

We have just received the project Architecture of Bamboo – The “German-Chinese House” at the EXPO 2010 Shanghai, by Markus Heinsdorff to share it with our readers.
The event series “Germany and China – Moving Ahead Together” presents
itself in spectacular and sustainable fashion during its sixth and
last station: the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. The “German-Chinese House” is
not only the architectural highlight of its EXPO presence; it is also
forward-looking and environmentally friendly. It is the only two-storey
building at the EXPO whose load-bearing structures are made of bamboo.
The building is an artistic encounter with the theme of sustainable
urbanisation, which was the focus of the three-year event series from
2007 to 2010.Tradition and high-tech
The “German-Chinese House” was designed by Markus Heinsdorff, a
designer and installation artist. Heinsdorff already constructed around
20 delicate bamboo pavilions for the previous stations of “Germany and
China – Moving Ahead Together”. In China bamboo enjoys a rich tradition
as a construction material and Heinsdorff made this material the
hallmark of the event series. Heinsdorff’s buildings are modern,
multifunctional rooms as well as works of art combined in one. They
represent a symbiosis of natural and high-tech materials. As a
construction material, bamboo is especially environmentally friendly and
efficient in the use of resources. The grass grows up to 30
centimetres per day – faster than any other plant. Working with bamboo
does not require the tree to be cut down. There is hardly any other
material that is as elastic while at the same time as hard and firm as
bamboo. Bamboo also possesses a unique charm.
The German-Chinese architecture practice MUDI in Shanghai was
responsible for the planning, the solutions of new technical questions
and the comprehensive approval process. The stand construction company
Shanghai Oriental Expo Services has been supervising the construction.Environmentally friendly and mobile
The “German-Chinese House” is a bamboo membrane building with a
walk-through surface area of 330 square metres spread over the two
floors. For the roof’s supporting construction, Markus Heinsdorff used
eight-metre-long canes of Julong bamboo, a rare and particularly long
type of bamboo from South China. Before the actual construction, the
bamboo was treated with a special fire-resistant chemical and has
received a certification for fire resistance. In the interior of the
building, the artist worked with glue-laminated bamboo segments. For
both materials, new connecting and finishing techniques, which were
developed especially for this project, were used. The supporting beams
of the bamboo segments, which measure up to six metres long, make a
self-supporting room possible on the upper floor. Connecting joints of
steel on the roof hold together the bamboo supporting frame structure.
They are set in HVFA concrete with a high concentration of flue ash.
The roof consists of special PVC membranes. On the building’s façade,
the bamboo has been combined with light-translucent ETFE films. The
building is environmentally friendly and mobile: it can be taken apart
and reassembled elsewhere. All materials are either reusable or
completely recyclable.Futuristic and multifunctional
The design of the “German-Chinese House” has the effect of being
light, elegant and futuristic. It combines stylistic elements from both
cultures. The roof surfaces and supporting beams in the interior remind
one of bamboo fans or paper umbrellas, while the facade, thanks to its
form and translucence, calls to mind a finely polished gemstone. The
triangular entrances and exits resemble Gothic building forms. Both
ends of the hall are open spaces. The house is covered with a white,
shiny material that has been stretched between the bamboo canes and
makes the house look like a beautifully lit lamp at night.
The building contains exhibition, game and conference areas. Along
the longitudinal axis of the large hall on the ground floor, visitors
can take part in an interactive city game. The first floor in four-metre
height is accessible by a steel staircase, which is supported by a
woven supporting pillar. Here, visitors will find an
80-square-meter-large lounge and conference centre, which is open to
the roof structure. For noise protection, the room has been completely
enclosed with 12-millimetre-thick transparent polycarbonate plates.
Also on the upper floor are three oval structures connected to each
other — in the colours of the German flag.
The building’s built-in components and furniture were custom-made for
the “German-Chinese House”. They are practical and comfortable – and
are also works of art themselves. Here, too, the principles of
sustainability are visible. Recyclability, the minimal use of
resources, and the use of environmentally-friendly materials take
priority. The bamboo furniture is light, flexible and high-strength.
Various layers of thin bamboo veneer have been glued together in
different forms. The result is comfortable, resilient chairs, seats and
tables, which instantly can be stacked together to create sculptures
within the space.Markus Heinsdorff
Markus Heinsdorff was born in 1954 in Steinkirchen near Munich. From
1976 until 1981 he studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Munich. Since then, his works and installations have been displayed in
Thailand, Indonesia, China, India, the United States and numerous
European countries. For the last 13 years, he has shown an intense
interest in Asian cultures as well as in bamboo as a sustainable
material that is rich in tradition.