Bambow Suspended Flying Bridge / Atelier LAI

Architects: Atelier Lai
Area: 20 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Shengliang Su, Qixian Liao
Architect-in-Charge: Mado
Design Team: Qixian Liao, Yu Fan, Ming Tang, An Huo
Construction: Shanghai Jingdao Bamboo Construction Design Co. LTD.
Art Show: Malfinio
City: Shanghai
Country: China

The “Bambow Suspended Flying Bridge” by Atelier LAI, first built in Huizhou, used bamboo to blend modern structural techniques with rural aesthetics, showcasing the material’s resilience. Reimagined in Shanghai’s Hongkou district as “Bambow,” it shifts from a functional crossing to a sculptural urban piece, transforming bamboo from a rustic material into a modern art form. Encouraging leaning rather than crossing, it inspires metaphors through performances like Tan Yuanbo’s dances. Its design reflects Chinese artistic traditions, combining softness and rigidity in a flowing, resilient form that bridges vernacular heritage and urban modernity with understated elegance.

Bambow Suspended Flying Bridge / Atelier LAI

Two years ago, Atelier LAI designed and built the “Suspended Flying Bridge” in an old village in Huizhou. Named for its structure, which spans the riverbanks while hanging above the water, the bridge was constructed using locally sourced bamboo. The design combined modern structural techniques with scenic concepts, emphasizing the resilience of bamboo and presenting a tectonic representation of the countryside. In this context, the material and technique converge to create a cohesive, organic form.

Material & Technique
Two years later, Atelier LAI introduced “Bambow” in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, presenting a new narrative of material and technique. Located in the Hongkou district, a former concession area, “Bambow” is set against a backdrop of stone structures and ornate Western classical architecture. Bamboo, once ubiquitous in rural China and integral to daily life, now takes on a new identity as a “guest” in the city—a material that has metaphorically “left home when it was young.” When densely woven bamboo appears on an urban street corner, it captures the curiosity of passersby. No longer a practical, rustic cash crop, it transforms into a street-side art installation or a nostalgic reminder of playful rural memories.

At this stage, the “Bambow” creates a sense of place that surpasses the tectonic narrative of the “Suspended Flying Bridge,” which primarily emphasizes aesthetics and organic qualities. Here, tectonicity serves a supporting role, bridging biological function with aesthetic expression. The vernacular bamboo material is reinterpreted as an alternative expression of modernity.

Body & Momentum
Unlike the “Suspended Flying Bridge,” the “Bambow” shifts its function from facilitating foot crossings to supporting the leaning body. Resembling a suspended bamboo chair, it rises from the ground, engaging in a silent dialogue with the century-old tree at the site. This leaning form introduces new possibilities for physical interaction. Tan Yuanbo, a physical artist, expands its meaning through dance performances. When a body sways gently at the end of the “Bambow,” the motion becomes a dance of the mind, harmonizing with the interplay of light, shadows, and the presence of the tree.

Virtue & Art
Line serves as the essence of Chinese art. Whether in the flowing ink of calligraphy, the wooden framework of architecture, the cadence of poetry, or the interwoven bamboo crafted by skilled hands, the creator’s momentum and energy are fully expressed through linear forms. In the urban corner where it resides, “Bambow” sways with an open momentum, embodying the material’s strength while evoking the spirit of the Genius Loci.

The line art of “Bambow” acts as a subtle gesture of intervention. Through the domestication of gravity, it rises from the ground while bending and hanging, softening the starkness of its urban surroundings. Alongside its softness, the form exhibits remarkable tenacity: when it hangs for extended periods, it is pliable; when it stands briefly, it is firm. This interplay of rigidity and flexibility allows it to sway gracefully with momentum and then return to its original position, unwavering in its intent. Its elegance and restraint give it the demeanor of a “gentleman.”