Can you roll a building the same way a fruit rolls in a bowl?

Wanderoll pavilion has been designed to be walked on the inside and rolled into 4 different positions which “lock” into the landscape accordingly.

This constructs a dialogue between the object and the curated smooth landscape of soft crevice, making it an interactive and exciting pavilion to host the Wonderfruit 2019 events.
The installation was conceived as a lightweight temporary shelter, housing an exhibition space. To fulfil the ambition of being able to roll the structure and position it in a position adjacent to its original, and for the majority of the elements to be recyclable, bamboo was chosen as a locally grown lightweight material and and the envelope was proposed as a temporary shield rather than a permanently clad facade.
Wanderoll Pavilion, Bang Lamung, Thailand, 2019           
Organisers: Wonderfruit Festival 2019, Ab Rogers Design

Collaborators: AKTII, Mamie Attwell Thomas, Maria Eugenia Villafañe

The project was selected as runner-up for the Wanderfruit Festival Sustainable Pavilion international competition, supported by Ab Rogers Design.














The tropical site conditions drove the main solutions adopted for the design. The installation is shaped as a truncated sphere of 4.5m radius, with large openings to function as windows/entrances making space at the ground for the exhibition area. The main structural element is bundled bamboo stalks, wrapping around the surface of the sphere, connected at their intersection points to create a rigid shell able to carry its own self weight and the lateral connections.


Bamboo as a construction material is light and forms structures that have a low mass-to-flexibility ratio compared with those of wood. It can be grown relatively fast (possibly on-site) and cutting and transportation costs are relatively low. Once the bamboo structure is assembled, the surface can be covered using weather-proofed Jute or similar fabric, to complete the envelope.
In relation to the large openings, edge rings tied on the bamboo structure provide an edge restrain and allow for connection at the ground. A shallow pad made from compacted ground and gravel provides a solid base for the structure’s connection to the ground in the permanent condition and to receive the exhibition and pedestrian loads.