From far away, the picture above might look like a fuzzy coconut sticking out of the water, but upon closer inspection, you'll see that it's actually a massive building made almost entirely of bamboo and other natural materials. Designed and constructed by
Vo Trong Nghia, who is known as a somewhat of a bamboo building virtuoso, the domed structure is called the Water and Wind Cafe and resides in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam. Not only does the cafe showcase how versatile and strong
bamboo, which is a rapid-growing renewable material, can be, it was also built without the use of even one nail!
We’ve seen other bamboo buildings before but what makes Nghia’s stand out is the dynamic domed shapes he is able to achieve with the material – especially without the use of modern machinery or metal structures. In fact, every bit of bamboo in the design was woven together using traditional Vietnamese weaving techniques.
The cafe’s frame measures 30 feet high and features an opening at the very top of the dome that allows daylight to stream inside. Like many other Vietnamese structures, it is covered in a local bush plant, which evokes an African-esque aesthetic. And contrary to what you might think about building with natural, local materials, the end result is not “homemade” looking at all and is actually rather streamlined and majestic.
+ Vo Trong Nghia
Via Environmental Grafitti
Where is this amazing structure?
[...] provides views of the city, while contemporary guest rooms and conference areas have views of bamboo garden [...]