IBUKU_Four-Seasons-Yoga

Bamboo is yoga in architecture — The Yoga Pavilion at Four Seasons

April 8, 2016

Set in a secluded valley at the Four Seasons in Sayan, the Dharma Shanti Yoga Pavilion feels at once soaring and grounded. The roof is a leaf that rests at the edge of the forest where the valley opens up to terraced rice fields and the river beyond.

We aspire to leave a light footprint while adding value to this space, and the beautiful setting demands a graceful relationship with nature. To prepare, the design team took an anti-gravity “flying yoga” class together, part of a research trip to get a feel for the practice.

“We put a lot of thought into how people move within the spaces we design, so in this case we had to swing upside down to understand it.”
—Elora Hardy, IBUKU Founder

The key was to create a durable structure that will stand strong for decades. Strength, flexibility and vulnerability are qualities that yogis, bamboo, and our architects have in common. The IBUKU team designed the roof as a big leaf, keeping the structure dry and shaded. Balancing light and shade in the tropics is essential, so we aligned the roof to the West, allowing the last few rays of sunlight to shine through the space.

“Bamboo is yoga in architecture. As a material, it has a flexibility that mirrors the practice of yoga, and a beauty and grace of form that people seek in yoga.”
—Eka Wiradana
yoga pavilion

IBUKU Architect Eka Wiradana has been specializing in bamboo with the team for over six years, making him one of the most experienced bamboo architects in Asia.

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