Team:
Su, Fu-Yuan — Architect
Chen, Xuan-Cheng — Architect
Jen, Tah-Sien — Artist
The concept of the Landscape of the Boundary refers to the bamboo scaffolding. In this project, the group transformed the repeating grid composition seen in bamboo structures originally used for temporary scaffolding at construction sites, supports for billboards, or underwater racks supporting oyster beds into an architectural system of bodily sensations. The installation comprises a gridded bamboo forest, paths surrounding the internal plaza, and red metal handrails to delineate a field of perceptions and manifest a larger scale that suggests an atmosphere of a scaffold city.
The idea of scaffold structure is about the connection with the museum, constructed in the same dimensions as the museum lobby, and realized with a great quantity of moso and makino bamboo, two varieties which are indigenous to Taiwan. The unique resilience of bamboo immediately transfers any force that is applied to the structure as visitors walk within the framework, which creates the dreamlike sensation of being situated between the real and subconscious. The green color of the bamboo will fade over time; thus, the entire installation, which suggests a natural landscape, will record the temporal sequence of the topography at the site.
The design team is committed to open-ended experimentation and has built the bamboo structure without outsourcing their design to contractors. Landscape of the Boundary involves nearly 100 architectural students from the Chung Yuan Christian University who started from a visual orientation and over the course of several weeks became familiar with changes in the bamboo by working on the material with different machinery. The project fosters hands-on experience, which furthers the education of young architects by encouraging them to reconsider how architectural traditions are learned, carried forward, and presented. In the end, Landscape of the Boundary creates a multifaceted dialog for designers, participants, and viewers.