Bamboo Woven Amphitheatre

This amphitheatre proposal is designed for the Woodford Folk Festival by Nici Long and Juan Pablo Pinto. 

The building is inspired by the surrounding natural landscape. The base of the building is designed using a gabion wall system that will utilise stones quarried onsite, echoing the surrounding geology. A series of laser cut Corten steel ribs use an organic geometry that is found throughout nature, from small insects to the buttress of a tree. The ribs create three main shells that overlap each other creating a ventilated roof system, as a response to the hot and humid climate of the area. The space between the ribs will be woven from local bamboo, allowing the community to give character and identity to their new landmark. 

A high performance synthetic membrane spans between the ribs, creating the necessary shelter and protecting the bamboo. The profile of the ribs will emerge from the membrane, allowing the geometry of the structure to read as a design feature. Atop the membrane sits a mesh of stainless steel wires, that guide the growth of native vines over the structure, that provide an extra layer of protection from the sun. By growing vegetation over the structure we are projecting into the future. Rather than decay, the building will see growth and change as it is slowly covered by a selection of flowering perennial and deciduous plants, embedding it within the landscape. The stage is built from local recycled hardwood bearers, joists and floorboards