jensen & skodvin's protective roof over moya spring water source at venice biennale

jensen & skodvin presents ‘the protective roof over moya spring water source’ during the venice architecture biennale. located in changbai, northern china, the protective roof is designed for a drinking water company in a natural reserve site with old protected trees where no machinery is allowed.

all images © designboom

‘in our exhibit, we aim to show how the architectural systems we found in china can define and inhabit that space in a considerate way,’ mention the architects. the shape of the roof, the structure and the path are determined by precise mapping of the site, the trees’ position and the shape of the water source. the design resembles the system of bicycle chain where steel beams of varying lengths stretch between specific points and support the path, avoiding all trees. each element can be placed in a direction independent of the neighbouring elements because of the rounded ends, like the links in a bicycle chain.

protective roof over moya spring water source, model scale 1:30

designboom’s coverage of the 2018 venice architecture biennale is in partnership with leading energy company edison. edison is taking part in the 16th international architecture exhibition of la biennale di venezia by initiating a path towards sustainability and the efficient use of resources. the collaboration between edison and la biennale is based on awareness that energy is one of the fundamental elements of architecture and of the places, spaces and cities of contemporary life.