This project was submitted to an open call for proposals for Pod Art installations at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Our proposal sought to create a reprieve from the visual stimulation present at the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. The installation provided a spatially interactive experience - one which can be simultaneously viewed and occupied. A 30' x 30' gridded field of 1 1/2" diameter bamboo poles defined the installation while selectively removed zones created privacy and enclosure within an otherwise vast, undefined 600+ acre event. The tight placement of poles also provided dappled shade projecting into internal spaces located within the gridded field. Ultimately, This dense bamboo grid created an inhabitable thicket to be experienced and explored by the festivalgoer.
Due to the limited amount of time allowed on site prior to the opening of the festival the installation timeline was key. The process of installing the project was easily systemized due to the repetition inherent in the grid. With the coordinated efforts of the entire team performing a series of tasks, the preparation for and installation of a total of 2500 bamboo poles was completed in less than 24 hours. This relatively short installation period allowed for flexibility for variables such as weather and travel time for the installation team.
This installation relies on a single material. sustainably harvested bamboo will be sourced and delivered prior to the exhibition. The low-tech installation technique consisting of a grid of 1 1/2" diameter cores exerts minimal impact upon the existing pastoral setting. In order to minimize the amount of waste, the installation is designed to utilize a readily available length of bamboo (10'-0"). All material was sustainably harvested at the Fieldsa Farm in Sevierville, Tennessee. At the conclusion of the exhibition, the material was removed and transported to the nearby Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tennessee for use in their training exercises.AIA East Tennessee Award of Merit
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