vo trong nghia builds 'green ladder' pavilion from bamboo

vo trong nghia architects has installed a temporary pavilion, constructed primarily from bamboo, at the sherman contemporary art foundation (SCAF) in sydney. the structure — which will remain on display until december 10, 2016 — is titled ‘green ladder’, and pays homage to the material that vietnamese architects have become known for. the design comprises a smoked bamboo building, topped with a transparent ceiling that floats above the structure.

the temporary pavilion has been constructed from bamboo
all images by brett boardman

referred to by vo trong nghia as the ‘green steel of the 21st century’, bamboo is an extremely fast-growing species of giant grass, which grows abundantly and cheaply in rural vietnam. the pavilion has been conceived as a series of ladders, which were assembled prior to being transferred to australia. structural elements have been connected to form a porous yet robust grid-like frame, supporting a series of planter pots.

‘green ladder’ pays homage to the material that vo trong nghia has become known for

‘I want to bring nature back to the city,’ explains vo trong nghia. ‘in ho chi minh city, the population has reached nearly 10 million with only 5.35km2 of green space – only 0.25% of the entire city. vietnam’s unrestricted economic development has devastated the natural environment across the country. this is the problem architects need to solve.’

the pavilion has been conceived as a series of bamboo ladders

the project seeks to raise awareness of the importance of nature in the urban context — particularly in vietnam, where green spaces have become more and more scarce. after three months on display at the library of queensland, australia, ‘green ladder’ has now been relocated to sydney’s sherman contemporary art foundation (SCAF), where it will remain until later this year. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

elements were assembled in vietnam before being transferred to australia