Clouds of Umbrella | Mak Molirithiruth

Clouds of Umbrellas, Waves of Plastic Wastes

A sustainable weaved community canopy

Type: Pavillion, Canopy
Location: Daun Penh, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Team: Mak Molirithiruth (Project Leader), Pen Lisa, Yos Davith

An architectural intervention in the heart of Phnom Penh that emphasizes principles of sustainability and contemporary design-thinking. The canopy, which is located in the Phsar Kandal neighborhood, enhances and activates the atmosphere of the community area with a site-specific design that not only provides shade but also serves aesthetic purpose for the neighborhood. While corresponding with the warehouse’s contemporary structure and architectural innovation, the canopy transforms the space with a contemporary structure that presents a distinctive contrast to the colonial architecture. The canopy serves as a focal point of public interaction and engagement in addition to demonstrating a sustainable design in a public space. It provides an opportunity for a public programme of activities and events that emphasizes relevant urbanization and sustainability concerns.

Design Narrative

Under the trees

Gather

Work

Play

Relax

The design for the roof stems from a tree that serves as the central meeting point for life in Cambodia. It is a place where people work, where children play, and where friends gather and relax.

Umbrella Clouds at Phsar Kandal

Inspired by the canopies of umbrellas found in Phsar Kandal market in Phnom Penh. The design seeks to create a smaller canopy that tells the story of Big tree, Small canopy. The design draws inspiration from the existing big tree at the site and expresses how Cambodian views and uses the tree canopy to their advantage. The shape of the design is a thoughtfully crafted result of the imagined circulation as well as spatial organization under the canopy. By elevating the canopy structure completely above ground, the space becomes more inviting and welcoming to all. With movable partitions, the space is designed to curate a variety of different occasions and events, from everyday gathering and relaxation to local pop-up markets, workshops, art exhibition, performance and even conference. The Cambodian basket tray mimicking the market umbrellas that construct the overall canopy when overlapped creates an iconic shadow that reminds visitors of walking under the stacks of umbrellas along the market.

The Cambodian Flat Bamboo Basket

Agriculture / Daily life uses

Art Expression

The project showcases Cambodian culture, craft, art, and way of life through traditional items that can benefit a variety of people, from farmers to families, from the countryside to the city. The concept aims to be sustainable for all communities, especially the vulnerable local artisans who are slowly being replaced by modern adaptive technologies like plastics. At the material sourcing phase, it provides more work opportunities for villagers; when the project is fully constructed, it provides a
community friendly space for everyone and all activities; and finally, the project’s afterlife is concluded with the donation of each basket to all groups of people in need, from farmers to local housewives and even to the neighborhood vendors at the market.

Waves of Plastic Waves

Extreme Consumption of Plastic Wastes in Cambodia

In Phnom Penh alone, around 10 million plastic bags are used on a daily basis (UNDP, 2019). “The Waves of Plastic Wastes” was designed to be a sculptural expression of a global problem. Upon entry to the canopy, visitors are to be greeted by enormous waves of plastic bottles, representing the amount of plastic bags that the Phnom Penh population uses in a day. Using a total of 5000 bottles, each bottle represents 2000 pieces of plastic waste, to design the recycled water bottles partitions. The design conveys the message that each bottle is small but once all are combined, the impact says otherwise. At the same time, despite being an art installation that tells the story and raises awareness of plastic wastes, plastic bottle partitions also were designed to be movable and flexible, to be used for various occasions and scenarios.

Layout Plan

Roof Plan

The proposed design incorporates sustainability through the selection of materials, Cambodian handcrafted flat bamboo baskets . “Clouds of Umbrellas, Waves of Plastic Wastes” tell a story of Cambodian culture, craft, art and way of living in celebration of sustainable traditional products through design and architecture intervention. Additionally, the project shows the unity of Cambodians and Cambodian craftsmanship collaborating hand in hand, it creates a narrative of constant support to local artisans by introducing and promoting it to new generations, and inspiring them for the future preservation. For Cambodians, by Cambodians. Furthermore, the Canopy displays a statement of the extreme use in plastic waste in Cambodia through the waves of plastic bottle partitions. This thoughtful process of the Canopy design expresses that architecture holds the power to surprise, unite and inspire all while meditating important aspects such as community, preserving and sustainability. The design aims to reconnect the canopy and the neighborhood. With consideration of site context including available space, preferred entrance, existing stepped seating as well as functions within F3, the shape of the design is a thoughtfully crafted result of the imagined circulation as well as spatial organization under the canopy.

Concept Process

01. Umbrellas arranged in the shape of the canopy

02. Use natural curves to connect the the umbrellas to make one tree canopy

03. Plastic bottles partitions added as an art statement & serve functions

04. Create a new hotspot in town under the canopy in the community

Space's Scenarios

I. Local Weekend Market

II. Workshop, Gathering Space

III. Exhibition Space

IV. Art Performance Space

Section

Exhibition

Performance

Gathering

Under the weaving bamboo basket Canopy, the walls of the plastic bottles can be arranged to accommodate different occasions. The selected materials are environmentally friendly. They include re-purposed and recycled plastic bottles, bamboo roofs, pre-existing scaffolding, and reusable Cambodian basket trays made of bamboo strips. Using passive design principles, the space is ventilated and cooled by the natural wind flows and carefully guide the natural sunlight into the space. “The cheapest energy is the one we didn’t have to produce”

Axonometric-Explode Diagram