Crafted by Brazilian studio Bambutec Design, a beautiful bamboo amphitheater rose in the lush tropics of Rio de Janeiro. The 2,150-square-foot structure was designed with the help of computer modeling in addition to old-fashioned model making by hand. The Bamboo Amphitheater Space Structure was built for the green campus of the Pontifical Catholic University and was assembled in 25 working days.

Set on the banks of the Rainha River and screened in by bamboo, this bamboo structure complements its verdant surroundings with its dark green roof and exposed bamboo frame. The 1.4-ton amphitheater was built atop a foundation previously designed by architect Carlos Pingarrilho. Low landscape impact was emphasized throughout the design and build process, which made use of mobile prefabricated modules, pantographic grids, textile membranes, and a mobile lifting device. The ultra-lightweight dome is anchored to the ground with reinforced concrete and six touch-down pylons.

“The dome employs a textile hybrid space structure formed by self-supporting treated bamboo bipods, tensile pantographic gridshells and self-stressed active bending beams, avoiding buckling of the structural members,” wrote the design team.

“Gridshell modules were disposed discontinuously in overlapping steps 0.5m apart, allowing air circulation and natural lighting. Active bending beams and pantographic gridshells were subjected to prescribed external loads in a process of elastic deformation during assembly.” The project was inaugurated in 2014 and used to host events, shows, and lectures.

Source: Inhbitat