Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban, recognised for his innovative use of bamboo, paper and timber materials in humanitarian work, is behind one of the most eye-catching pavilions at this year’s World Expo.
Built from cardboard, bamboo, and carbon fibre, the Blue Ocean Dome, commissioned by Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (or ZERI), showcases the state of the world’s oceans and efforts to reduce pollution.
“Blue Ocean Dome is a pavilion where visitors can learn about the concept of environmental protection while having fun, based on the theme of sustainable use of marine resources and protection of marine ecosystems to realise the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, announced at the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit and aims to reduce additional pollution caused by marine plastic waste to zero by 2050,” explains the project’s official Expo page. “At this ocean-themed pavilion, we will practice our efforts to conserve and promote awareness of the ‘sustainable use of the ocean’ and to realise the ‘Blue Ocean Declaration.'”
Positioned beside the Grand Ring – officially the world’s largest timber structure ever designed – Ban used laminated bamboo (which is increasingly gaining favour amongst architects), cardboard, and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic tubes to build up the pavilion. Ban designed the trio of structures to be lightweight, ensure ease of disassembly after the event, and minimise waste – with the decision to laminate the bamboo was key to meeting Japan’s building standards:
“In countries with very strong building regulations, we cannot use natural bamboo as a building material, including in Japan,” Ban said yesterday. “However, if we laminate the bamboo, we can control the quality, strength and durability. So in the pavilion, I’m using laminated bamboo as a structure in a very unusual way.”
Wood Central understands that the pavilion opens up to a small entrance dome, Dome A, built from laminated bamboo. The small exit dome, Dome C, is formed from a molecular-like structure of cardboard tubes—Ban’s signature material used in disaster zones worldwide. Whilst the larger central dome, Dome B, uses carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic tubes, an expensive alternative to concrete piles commonly used in aerospace and automotive designs rather than in buildings.
“I made my building using carbon-reinforced plastic, which weighs less than the soil we removed for the foundation, which means we don’t need any concrete piles,” Ban said. “The construction period also becomes shorter, so this is a new way of using carbon fibre for the building industry.”
Ban’s creation is one of several pavilions showcased by Wood Central in recent months, including Bahrain’s boat-inspired pavilion, which is made from 3,000 individual pieces of Japanese cedar, and the Czech Republic’s 12-metre-high spiralling pavilion—Japan’s tallest steel-free building, which is fully earthquake—and tornado-proof.
- To learn more about Shigeru Ban’s use of bamboo, cardboard and paper in disaster zones, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
