Alexandra Whittingham | London County Hall

BAMBOO SERENADE

kodaiandassociates

A Temporary Mobile Stage

Our design for the mobile bamboo art stage was designed for an outdoor charity concert performance for the UK National Health Service (NHS) by classical guitarist Alexandra Whittingham. Its design and accomplishment have been of an extraordinary challenge which we took with pleasure and has allowed us to discover an alternative and sustainable material such as bamboo.

Entirely built from Moso bamboo poles, this temporary lightweight structure is easy to assemble and offers a unique open-air stage experience, where the surrounding environment becomes part of the performance itself. All elements become visually and physically present and play together with the geometry of the stage. Lights, sounds, weather conditions give a touch of reality to the performance, whilst the neighboring buildings become part of the stage choreography.

The natural property of bamboo is revealed through its simple design and use of traditional construction detail, revealing its true and humble nature. The structure is erected manually through individually tied pull cables, with each bamboo pole pivoting around its base to perfectly fit into position. As the performance is finished, the structure is closed and all poles stand vertically creating a natural screen to its background.

As a temporary structure, it can be dissembled and neatly stored for future use.

Found characteristics of the site and the event.

The design of the temporary stage was driven by its proximity to the River Thames and the event of hosting a musical event. The flow of the wind, water, and people inspired the structure and arrangement of bamboo rafters into the simple form of an arch when in an open position, representing the body of the wave-like movement of the River. Each rafter is tied into position by a white rope expressing the main characteristic of string instruments. When in its closed position, the bamboo rafters stand straight against the structural beam revealing behind it the scenery of London. It resembles the technique used in Kyoto of drying bamboo poles before their construction use. The structure stands in its open/closed positions depending on the performance and the weather condition.

The charity concert stage structure is a rhythmically formulated architectural instrument.