The Bamboo Playhouse by Eleena Jamil Architect

The Bamboo Playhouse
The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

The Bamboo Playhouse is a public pavilion located in Kuala Lumpur’s oldest and arguably, most picturesque park – the Perdana Botanical Gardens.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

The park is located right in the heart of the capital city and is very popular with locals and tourists. The pavilion itself is situated on a small island in a large lake that stretches through the centre of the park.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

The use of bamboo in contemporary buildings is very rare in Malaysia and this building explores its potential as a sustainable building material. Positioned along the edge of the lake, the playhouse is an open structure with raised square platforms set at multiple levels.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

Inspiration for the playhouse stems from traditional vernacular structures called the ‘wakaf’ which are originally found in villages or ‘kampungs’. These structures are essentially freestanding shelters that can be used freely by anyone in the community as a place to rest.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

Here, the playhouse can be described as a series of ‘wakafs’ grouped together to form an animated and playful bamboo structure that blends harmoniously with the beautiful greenery of the botanical garden. It offers a series of indeterminate spaces, offering various opportunities of use and occupation.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

The pavilion consists of thirty-one identical square decks set at various, seemingly random heights, creating a playful three-dimensional floorscape. Above the floor level are repetitive modular structures made entirely out of bamboo.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey

From the centre of each deck, a tree-like column rises up to support the roof. ‘Tree-houses’, in the form of bamboo baskets, are hung off the columns and they add another ‘playful’ element to the pavilion. Source by Eleena Jamil Architect.

The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey
  • Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Architects: Eleena Jamil Architect
  • Project Team: Eleena Jamil, Yusri Amri Yussoff, Shahril M Ramli
  • Client: Kula Lumpur City Hall
  • Area: 320 m2
  • Year: 2015
  • Photographs: Marc Tey Photography, Courtesy of Eleena Jamil Architect
The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey
The Bamboo Playhouse
Photo © Marc Tey
The Bamboo Playhouse
Site Plan
The Bamboo Playhouse
Elevations
The Bamboo Playhouse
Model

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