gèngjin assembles a temporary pavilion out of fabric and bamboo
Veil Tower, designed by gèngjin Architecture Office, is a temporary pavilion inside a dense moso bamboo grove in Xianning, Hubei, China. Developed as fully recyclable installationthe work combines a raw bamboo frame with suspended black fabric enclosure to explore low-tech construction, reversible assembly and the relationship between physical movement and landscape. Drawing from the centripetal spatial logic of ancient Chu ceremonial architecture, the pavilion transforms a forest clearing into a space defined by framed views, filtered light and controlled perception.
aerial view of Pyrgos Peplos in the grove | image by ©gèngjin Architecture Office
bamboo structure shaped by landscape and local construction
Located within the bamboo forests surrounding ANNSO Hotel in southern Hubei, the pavilion responds to a landscape characterized by steep terrain, dense vegetation and vertically growing bamboo. Rather than introducing a stand-alone architectural object, the intervention works with the existing grove, using local raw bamboo as a structural material and frame reference. Made by gèngjin Office of Architecture under tight budget conditions, the project adopts a low-tech building approach carried out with the support of local volunteers. The structure demonstrates how raw bamboo can be assembled into a temporary architectural framework using simple, reversible construction techniques, while remaining closely connected to the ecological and cultural context of the area.
sky and bamboo canopy framed by the structure | image by ©Da chen
Veil Tower raw bamboo frame and hanging fabric sheath
The pavilion is organized around fifteen bamboo frames arranged as a pentagonal structure. Inspired by the idea of revealing the ‘inner skin’ of bamboo, the design combines a rigid structural system with a suspended black cotton membrane that defines the inner casing. Each untreated bamboo post is approximately 60 mm in diameter and is stabilized by diagonal braces connected via screw joints. Beam crossings are secured using traditional hemp rope with cross-lashes, allowing the connections to adapt to the natural irregularities of the material while remaining adjustable over time. Because each link can be disassembled, the construction is fully reversible.
Suspended from the bamboo frame, fifteen fabric panels form a continuous enclosure. The black cotton linen material diffuses daylight while maintaining approximately sixty percent light transmittance, producing soft variations of light under the bamboo canopy. Gravity shapes the vertical folds of the fabric, creating a contrast between the flexible membrane and the rigid structural frame. The gaps between the fabric panels and the bamboo poles also perform an environmental function, allowing air to move freely through the enclosure, reducing wind stress on the structure while introducing movement to the suspended surface.
the ritual of the gaze from within the tower | image by ©Da Chen
Installation Perception of frames through hardware and movement
A continuous white baseline of medical cotton tape is wrapped around each bamboo end at a constant elevation. Rather than marking an absolute height, the line reveals the changing topography of the site as it rises and falls along the sloping terrain. The lower edge of the hanging veil aligns exactly with this horizontal reference, creating the appearance of a dark volume hovering above the ground. The fabric is placed 1.6 meters above the ground, interrupting the horizontal line of sight for most visitors. Entry requires a slight arc under the suspended membrane before the enclosure redirects attention upwards through the pentagonal opening overhead. From inside, the surrounding bamboo grove is largely hidden, while the framed view captures the sky, drifting clouds and swaying bamboo canopy above.
Designed as a temporary intervention, the Veil Tower leaves no permanent traces on the site. All structural elements can be disassembled and every bamboo element, rope connection and fabric panel can be reused or recycled. Rather than establishing a permanent architectural presence, the project explores how lightweight construction, local materials and reversible assembly can create a spatial experience that remains closely connected to the landscape and cultural context.
Veil tower rising through dense bamboo foliage | image by ©Da chen
