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Bamboo is favored by architects and designers the world over: Timber derived from the fast-growing plant has proven hard-wearing and flat-out beautiful. And the ease with which it can be cultivated is a huge plus in the eco-conscious world of design.
It makes sense, then, that a design biennial dedicated to bamboo would—pardon us—take root in Baoxi, China (south of Shanghai) where the fibrous flora grows natively. In newly released photographs, Belgian lensmith Julien Lanoo captures the beauty and versatility of bamboo as it was explored in the inaugural bamboo biennial in 2016.
Though the event took place outside China’s major urban centers, it was no less representative of bamboo used at the highest echelons of design: Works by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, Vietnam’s Vo Trong Nghia, and ten other designers took center stage, with pavilions, a bridge, a restaurant, and more created for exhibition sites around the town.
Take a good look around over at Designboom.