Bale Kambang (II)
Europalia Indonesia 2017 in Bonaparte dock, Antwerp.
Bamboo is part of daily life in Indonesia. It is much more than a sustainable alternative to scarce tropical wood. Bamboo culture is deeply rooted in most of the ethnics groups spread across the Indonesian archipelago.
Bale Kambang (“floating platform”) is a gathering place on the water, designed and created especially for the EUROPALIA INDONESIA festival. It is built completely out of bamboo, using a traditional joints technique with bamboo pegs. The bamboo was harvested from several villages around Yogyakarta, which is known for the high quality and strength of its bamboo thanks to the volcanic ash that enriches the soil. The bamboo was then prepared by local carpenters before being sent to Antwerp for assembly by experienced bamboo carpenters assisted by enthusiastic architecture students.
This floating platform by Eko Prawoto aims to create a new public space, where people can experience the smells, sounds and atmosphere of Indonesia’s bamboo culture. It is an open invitation for organising various kinds of community activities. The platform’s open structure is an expression of hospitality, and its frame - resembling leaf buds – expresses a desire for better relations between nations.
Bale Kambang (II)
Europalia Indonesia 2017 in Bonaparte dock, Antwerp.
Bamboo is part of daily life in Indonesia. It is much more than a sustainable alternative to scarce tropical wood. Bamboo culture is deeply rooted in most of the ethnics groups spread across the Indonesian archipelago.
Bale Kambang (“floating platform”) is a gathering place on the water, designed and created especially for the EUROPALIA INDONESIA festival. It is built completely out of bamboo, using a traditional joints technique with bamboo pegs. The bamboo was harvested from several villages around Yogyakarta, which is known for the high quality and strength of its bamboo thanks to the volcanic ash that enriches the soil. The bamboo was then prepared by local carpenters before being sent to Antwerp for assembly by experienced bamboo carpenters assisted by enthusiastic architecture students.
This floating platform by Eko Prawoto aims to create a new public space, where people can experience the smells, sounds and atmosphere of Indonesia’s bamboo culture. It is an open invitation for organising various kinds of community activities. The platform’s open structure is an expression of hospitality, and its frame - resembling leaf buds – expresses a desire for better relations between nations.