WEAK! architects at shenzhen hong kong biennale

WEAK! architects at shenzhen hong kong biennale images courtesy shenzhen hong kong biennale and appointed chief curator of shenzhen exhibition ou ning

for the shenzhen hong kong biennale, the taiwanese architectural group WEAK! architects have created ‘bug dome’ and installed it on the outdoor space northeast of the shenzhen civic center.

as part of the theme – ‘loosing the countryside’, WEAK! architects brought many workers from the southern part of china for their performance. based around insects the ‘bug dome’ is constructed out of bamboo and weak concrete in the form of cement mixed with soil. all the necessary materials were collected from around the building site and will return to the natural environment after the biennale.

the cocoon is a temporary multi-functional architecture space, which will serve as a workshop for children, as well as a performance area by underground bands, poetry parties and architecture forums.

hsieh ying-chun, marco casagrande and ching-yueh roan of WEAK! architects

WEAK! architects recompose existing materials with minimal effort to total impact. they describe themselves as ‘lazy’ and ‘flexible’. they co-operate with children and grandmothers. WEAK! are hsieh ying-chun (taiwan architectural activist specializing at collaborative construction and sustainable construction), roan ching-yueh (architect, curator and critic) and marco casagrande (finnish architect, founder of C – lab).

initial sketches of the ‘bug dome’