Bamboo Amphitheater Space Structure

The dome of the Amphitheater Prof. Junito Brandão in PUC-Rio is a mobile free-form bamboo space structure spanning 17 x 12 m, in a total of 200 m² of covered area.

The hybrid self-supporting structure is designed with treated bamboo bipods, active bending arches, and deployable gridshells, allowing for air circulation and natural lighting in the structure.

Active bending beams and pantographic grids are subjected to prescribed external loads in a process of elastic deformation during assembly. The hybrid space structure creates resistant and naturally acoustic forms, applying concave surfaces that maintain and distribute the sound in the environment.

The design is inspired in the forms of nature. Textile flexible connections were developed, allowing the mobility and the deployability of the structural members during the assembly procedure in the inclined topography site, with low mechanical stresses applied in the members.

The structure was assembled in 25 working days, using creative techniques and an engineering design for safety with low environmental impact. Prefabricated modules, deployable systems, and a mobile lifting device were developed, without the use of cranes and heavy equipment.

Reinforced concrete anchors fix the dome to the ground and preserve the structure from the direct contact with the soil moisture.

Since it was inaugurated in 2014, the Amphitheater dome hosts events, shows and lectures. The Amphitheater space structure is also used by students and staff for leisure, rest and reading.

The space structure has a proper weigh of 1.4 tons, ie 7 kgf/m², and is a sustainable ultra-lightweight mobile free-form space structure. Its lightness and strength is only comparable to contemporary composite structures of advanced polymers.

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The project received the financial support from the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, FAPERJ.

Photos: Juan Dias

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