Yatong Shang

Bamboo Grove Retreat

A face mask is usually made up of layers of fabric to filter the air entering the mouth and nose to prevent harmful gases, odours and droplets. The design of the face mask pattern therefore emphasizes layering and permeability. My proposal works with these qualities, along with referencing ancient Chinese poet Wang Wei's work about the experience of a pavilion among the bamboo. It offers a small informal commercial space and a stage for street performers. The structure consists of three levels, including flower-shaped wooden panels at the top level, a temporary pattern at the bottom level and a bamboo structure that connects the two layers in the middle.

As a landscape filter, the design has the same function as face masks. The range of light, rain and human movement in this filter is different: Half of the light reaches the ground floor through the gaps in the above layer, which means the design filters half of the sunlight. In addition, rainwater is flowing, so all the rainwater eventually passes through the upper two layers of the structure to reach the ground. The moisture-proof agent is applied precisely to the concrete surface. The pattern is visible only when the ground is wet. Viewed from above, people can only move, walk or sit on the floor of the wooden panels. For safety reasons, the design does not allow people to fall through the gaps between the planks.

So, people's mobility is limited to the first floor.