The big bamboo comeback

• Source: Global Times
• [10:12 September 08 2010]
• Comments

Bamboo panels of the Madrid Pavilion. Photo: Liu Mengyue

Bamboo in the round 

The India Pavilion's architecture is eye-catching because of its prominent central dome. The dome was inspired by Buddhist monuments at Sanchi, dating from the 3rd century BC. The dome is a common structure in Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh religions. With a diameter of 34.4 meters, the India Pavilion boasts the world's largest bamboo dome. 

According to Megha Baweja, an interpreter at the pavilion, all of the bamboo material was brought from Jiangxi Province. "Bamboo is common in China and it is actually more solid than steel with its high tenacity. In the face of a strong storm, for example, steel can be quickly destroyed, unlike bamboo which has the ability to almost ride with the wind."

But is the bamboo structure capable of sustaining the whole weight of the dome? According to Megha, after designers settled on the choice of bamboo, tests were carried out with the result that bamboo was shown to be capable of hold the same amount of weight as steel. "Forty tons of bamboo were used for the dome and the beams, and all the material was pre-soaked in specially made water to make it resistant to insects and fire," he said. "And the naturally curved shape of the dome was achieved by five to six days of heating."