Bamboo Skyscraper

80' tall and utilizing no mechanical fasteners, this flaming bamboo skyscraper featured a propane-powered torch up high and was based upon a 6-pointed star pattern.

Design: Gerard Minakawa

Materials: Guadua, Petung splits, and rope.

photo: Aaron Gautschi

30,000 people attended the All Points West festival at Liberty State Park, next to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the Manhattan skyline just across the water...

photo: Aaron Gautschi

View of the woven basket-like structure from below, at night. Color changing-LED lights were used for the effects.

Note the 12 vertical poles, spliced end to end, thru which the Petung splits were woven.

The Manhattan skyline before we added our own skyscraper...

photo: Kevin Rowell

Same skyline, with a rough bamboo skewer / cardboard model. The entire design and building plan was figured out a few days before construction (which is nothing unusual, considering our often non-existent prep time)

photo: Kenichi Tomita

A custom rig was built to hold the 12 vertical bamboo ribs in place, so that we'd have a firm framework in which to introduce the woven bamboo splits.

photo: Kevin Rowell

After weaving in most of the bamboo splits. Sounds simple, but it took all 10 of us 2 full days to weave all these splits into the ribs... The only elements holding the entire structure up were A) the bamboo poles, B) the bamboo splits and C) Manila rope guy lines.

photo: Kevin Rowell

Raising the entire 80' long tower with one reach fork and another forklift on the other end playing a supporting role.

photo: Kevin Rowell

Jennifer Mark doing what she loves best... climbing high! On bamboo, of course. (Statue of Libery can be seen just over her right hip.)

photo: Kevin Rowell