Rattan Pavilion

Rattan Eco Sprawl

Singapore art museum, 2024

About the project

Rattan Eco Sprawl is a captivating pavilion installation by Singaporean artist Zen Teh, showcased at the Singapore Art Museum. This unique structure is crafted primarily from rattan canes, intricately woven by skilled artisans from Cambodia into a flowing, organic form inspired

by termite mounds—the same natural formations that influenced the design of Cambodia’s iconic Angkor Wat. Live plants sprout through the pavilion's exterior walls, gradually intertwining with the structure and integrating it into the surrounding environment over time.

The process

Rattan is a palm plant native to tropical regions across Asia, Africa, and Australia. Its outer skin is stripped and woven, while the inner, reed-like core is typically bent to create furniture frames.

For Rattan Eco Sprawl, using this natural material on a larger scale required careful consideration of its material properties. The structural properties of Rattan are relatively unknown. Combined with the woven form providing numerous load unconventional paths, it was decided that structural analysis alone would not accurately demonstrate the capacity of the structure

Instead, the pavilion’s strength was proven through full scale load tests. This method of verification was found to be both more realistic and time efficient than a fully analytical approach.

The commitment to natural materials permeates through every aspect of the pavilion’s design. A timber frame elevates part of the structure, utilizing traditional mortise and tenon joints to avoid the use of steel bolts. The frame is anchored down to natural stones sourced from quarry off-cuts, offering a sustainable alternative to heavy concrete pads.

The outcome

Credits

Artist: Zen Teh

Client: Singapore Art Museum

Collaboration: Passage Projects

Contractor: INDC, Cambodian Craftsmen

Structural Engineers: Atelier One