romain jacquet-lagrèze captures bamboo scaffolding workers hovering above hong kong

Echoing Above examines the bamboo scaffolding method

Echoing Above is a photographic monograph by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze documenting the practice of bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong. The series focuses on the structural and spatial qualities of this traditional construction method, highlighting its integration within the city’s dense urban fabric. The photographs capture various moments of the scaffolding process, emphasizing both the material logic and the construction techniques involved.

Bamboo scaffolding, particularly the type known as Fei Paang (飛棚, meaning ‘flying shed’), remains a distinct feature of renovation work in compact residential areas. Its application allows for targeted maintenance operations, such as air conditioning repair or vegetation removal from facades. The scaffolding is assembled directly onto building exteriors, often suspended at height, using minimal anchoring points. Workers move along narrow ledges and supports, while holding a long bamboo pole with a single hand.

all images by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze

recording the cultural dimensions of an evolving craft

This traditional construction method requires not only physical coordination but also an in-depth understanding of the forces at play. The temporary structures must balance flexibility and stability while adapting to irregular architectural forms. The documentation process by photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze often relies on locating active scaffolding zones by auditory cues like bamboo impacts, tool sounds, and worker communication.

The photographic series serves as a record of a practice that continues to function under specific environmental and spatial constraints. It examines the aesthetic, structural, and cultural dimensions of an evolving craft embedded within Hong Kong’s urban context.

Fixing the Base, 2024 | a man attaches the metallic support that will serve as the base of the bamboo scaffolding

Ascending Bamboos, 2023 | a scaffolder brings up the fabric that will wrap the bamboo scaffolding

Below the Passing Plane, 2024 | a scaffolder grabs a bamboo pole on the facade of a building

Abseil Drilling, 2024 | a man drills a hole on the facade of a building to fix the metallic support for the scaffolding

Equilibrium, 2023 | a man holds a bamboo pole with one hand while balancing on the building’s facade

On the Canyon’s Edge, 2024 | a worker grabs the metallic structure that serves as the base of the scaffolding

Parallel Repairs, 2024 | two men work on repairs at different floors of an old building

Repair Chevalier, 2024 | a worker holds a bamboo pole for the scaffolding he is constructing

Stylish Fix, 2024 | a man attaches bamboo poles together to finish his newly built scaffolding

Taking a Break Above, 2024 | a worker lights up a cigarette while taking a break with his colleagues

Reaching Out, 2024 | a man reaches out to grab a part of a dismantled scaffolding

project info:

name: Echoing Above
photographer: Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze | @romainjacquetlagreze