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2023

Doha, Qatar

A Journey to Qatar

National Museum of Qatar, Royal Palace

Exhibited first at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, The Majlis: A Meeting Place was then assembled and shown at the National Museum of Qatar. This installation reinterprets the traditional Majlis as both an architectural and cultural space for gathering, conversation, and reflection. 


At its core, the pavilion is a structural experiment in prefabrication and precision craft, demonstrating bamboo’s adaptability as a modular, transportable material. The architectural strategy merges the ancient principles of nomadic dwelling with contemporary fabrication techniques, resulting in a pavilion that is lightweight, yet rigid—rooted in tradition but executed with precision engineering.

Materials & Construction

The Majlis pavilion redefines bamboo construction through a self-supporting, compression-based framework, where curved laminated Guadua bamboo ribs form a rigid yet transportable structure. Inspired by North African basket weaving, each rib was hand-laminated and pressed in Colombia, shaped manually using full-scale chalk layouts and handmade clamps, akin to steam-bent boat construction. The design follows reciprocal, self-bracing principles, allowing for modular assembly, rapid disassembly, and relocation without heavy anchoring. Handwoven Moroccan textiles function as both an enclosure and climatic filter, regulating light and airflow while integrating traditional craft into contemporary architecture. Prefabricated yet artisanal, the Majlis challenges bamboo’s perception, proving it can achieve the structural efficiency of engineered wood or steel while maintaining sustainability. The pavilion, later reinstalled in Doha, Qatar, establishes a low-carbon, transportable model for adaptive architecture, demonstrating bamboo’s potential in prefabrication, cultural expression, and environmental innovation.

INFO.

PROGRAM.

INSTALLATION.

LOCATION.

Museum Installation

Gigagrass

Doha, Qatar

Caravane Earth Foundation

CLIENT.

PRODUCTION.

Gigagrass

ENGINEERING.

Andres Gomez

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