woven bamboo canopy forms floral field bending over sunken urban plaza in shanghai
Bamboo Canopy Installation by HCCH Studio Frames Sunken Plaza
Bent by Spring is a bamboo public art installation by HCCH Studio located in a historic park in Shanghai’s old city. The project is composed of ten clusters of bamboo poles that cantilever inward, forming a woven floral canopy above a sunken plaza. The structure establishes an elastic spatial field that operates simultaneously as overhead shelter and vertical enclosure.
Commissioned by the Power Station of Art for the Shanghai International Flower Show, the installation is positioned at the sunken entrance plaza of Gucheng Park along a pedestrian route connecting The Bund and Yu Garden. The site setting is defined by the dense urban fabric of Shanghai’s old city on one side and views toward the Lujiazui skyline across the river on the other, framing the installation within contrasting urban conditions.
all images by Guowei Liu, courtesy of Power Station of Art Shanghai (PSA)
Ten Bamboo Clusters Form ‘Bent by Spring’ Cantilevered Canopy
The structure by HCCH Studio consists of ten groups of raw bamboo poles emerging from the perimeter of the plaza and bending inward to form a low canopy above the central steps. At the ends of the poles, woven bamboo flower elements reinterpret the Twelve Floral Fairies of the lunar calendar, orienting the structure toward approaching visitors and defining directional spatial cues.
The installation is characterized by a lightweight assembly of forty raw bamboo poles, each under 8.5 meters in length. Together, the system creates a cantilever spanning 7.2 meters, reaching a height of 4.5 meters, and covering a projected area of 136 square meters. The structure is designed for rapid assembly, with construction completed within approximately two working days.
Woven Floral Park Structure Produces Transitional Public Space
The form is generated through material behavior, where the weight of the woven floral elements causes the bamboo poles to bend into arcs, shaping a sheltered public space. Steel pipe bases anchor the bamboo structure while also functioning as counterweights and informal seating elements for visitors.
Material detailing incorporates everyday objects, including glass lamp shades, plastic hair ties, colored cable ties, and bamboo mats, arranged as layered assemblages referencing material culture in the surrounding urban context of Yu Garden.
The installation produces a shifting spatial condition that responds to light and movement throughout the day. Beneath the canopy, the bamboo structure defines a transitional environment between park, street, and skyline, operating as a temporary architectural field within the urban landscape.
project info:
name: Bent by Spring
architect: HCCH Studio | @hcchstudio
design team: Hao Chen, Chenchen Hu, Qisen Yang, Feng Qi
client: Power Station of Art Shanghai
structure: Zhun Zhang
contractor: Art ZHOU
location: Shanghai Park of Old City, China
photographer: Guowei Liu
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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