JOIN USEleena Jamil Architects were approached by the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur to design a public pavilion out of bamboo in the Malaysian capital city’s oldest and most picturesque park — the Perdana Botanical Gardens. The park is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and is very popular with locals and tourists. The site itself is situated on a small island in a large lake that stretches through the centre of the park.
Positioned along the edge of the lake, the playhouse is an open structure with raised square platforms set out at multiple levels. Inspiration for the playhouse stems from traditional Malaysian structures called ‘wakaf’ which are originally found in villages or ‘kampungs’. These structures are essentially freestanding shelters that can be described as a series of ‘wakafs’ grouped together to form an animated bamboo structure that blends harmoniously with the beautiful greenery of the botanical garden. The playhouse has so far been used by visitors as a shaded resting place, children’s play space and meeting place. Events, exhibitions and performances have also been organised there.
The pavilion is a modular structure made entirely of bamboo.
Surprisingly, the use of bamboo in contemporary buildings is very rare in Malaysia, and this building explores its potential as a sustainable building material. The pavilion consists of 31 identical square decks set at seemingly random heights, creating a three-dimensional effect. From the centre of each deck, a tree-like column rises up to support the roof.