Take A Look Inside The Amazing 'Lotus Flower' Made Entirely From Bamboo

Chiangmai Life Architects (CLA) designed a sports hall in Thailand made entirely from bamboo – and it reportedly has a zero carbon footprint. Could this be the “greenest” fitness center in the world?

Bamboo Sports Hall at Panyaden International School

A holistic, bilingual primary school in the Hang Dong Subdistrict of Thailand is getting an all-organic, hand-crafted dream sports hall. The new Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School was constructed in the shape of a lotus flower – the traditional flower of Buddhism – and features prefabricated bamboo trusses that span over 17 meters without steel reinforcements or connections.

This new organic, modern design “smoothly integrates with the previous earthen and bamboo buildings of the school as well as the natural hilly landscape of the area,” and adheres to the school’s “green” mission. With a projected capacity for up to 300 students, the sports hall will provide modern sports facilities, such as basketball, volleyball, and badminton courts, as well as observational balconies for parents.

The design of the 782 square-meter hall was supervised by two independent engineers to ensure “modern safety standards of loads, shear forces etc. to withstand the local high-speed winds, earthquakes and all other natural forces,” says CLA. The all-bamboo design allows for natural ventilation and cooling, providing year-round climate flexibility.

Chiangmai Life Architects specializes in modern bamboo and free-flowing earth architecture, and emphasizes the structural flexibility and resiliency of using the woody grass in design work. With an aim to bring structural design closer to nature, it seems they have created the perfect lotus sports hall that will last nearly 50 years.

Want more green design? Check out the world’s greenest, ‘healthiest’ building here.

Scroll down for more photos of the new Bamboo Sports Hall

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.