HCCH Studio bends bamboo poles into floral canopy in Shanghai

Commissioned by the Power Station of Art for the Shanghai International Flower Show, Bent by Spring is a temporary bamboo installation that occupies the sunken entrance plaza of Gucheng Park, along the historic route connecting The Bund and Yu Garden. Set between Shanghai’s dense old city fabric and the distant skyline of Lujiazui, the project creates a dialogue between local culture and the city’s contemporary urban identity.

The installation is formed by ten clusters of raw bamboo poles rising from the edge of the plaza before bending inward to create a suspended canopy above the central steps. Woven bamboo flowers attached to the tip of each pole reinterpret the traditional Twelve Floral Fairies of the lunar calendar, turning the structure into both a seasonal landmark and a welcoming public stage.

Using only forty raw bamboo poles, each less than 8.5 metres long, the lightweight structure spans 7.2 metres, reaches 4.5 metres in height and shelters an area of 136 square metres. Designed for efficiency as much as expression, the entire installation can be assembled in just two working days while achieving a surprisingly generous spatial presence.

The project’s title describes both its construction and its atmosphere. The weight of the woven flower heads naturally bends each bamboo pole into an arch, shaping a sheltered gathering space below. Steel pipes anchoring the bamboo double as seating, while glass lamp shades, plastic hair ties, coloured cable ties and bamboo mahjong mats are assembled into playful material collages that reference the everyday objects found throughout nearby Yu Garden.

As daylight fades, the bamboo canopy gently sways above the plaza, framing moments of rest, conversation and performance beneath its woven flowers. More than a temporary pavilion, Bent by Spring demonstrates how minimal materials, traditional craft and public space can come together to create an installation that is at once lightweight, immersive and deeply connected to its urban context.

Project Credit

Project name: Bent by Spring
Location: Shanghai Park of Old City, Shanghai, China
Design period: March-April.2026
Design firm: HCCH Studio / @hcchstudio
Photo: Guowei Liu – Image courtesy of PSA.