Great (Bamboo) Wall

Abstract

With this project, a guesthouse located close to the Great Wall, Kuma intended to reinterpret traditional qualities of Japanese architecture through the use of bamboo as both structural and non-structural element. The architect was intrigued by the characteristics of this material: as opposed to other wood products, which are all processed in one way or another before they are used as building materials, bamboo can only be used in its original form and is thus both a material and a product at the same time. Kuma’s design, in which he applies his usual method of “particlization,” especially emphasizes the disposition of bamboo as material. Positioning the individual pieces of the wood so as to resemble bamboo in its natural environment, Kuma seems to reveal the true essence of this material in his design.