Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bamboo Playhouse

A delightful architectural wonder awaits on a lake island in Kuala Lumpur’s oldest park.

Designed by Malaysian architect Eleena Jamil, the Bamboo Playhouse is a public pavilion located in Kuala Lumpur’s Perdana Botanical Gardens. The sustainable playhouse features a three-dimensional floorscape and tree-like columns that rise up to support the roof, offering a playful reprieve for the public that blends into the surrounding landscape.

The playhouse is situated on a small island in a large lake that stretches across the center of the gardens. The structure also contains a series of hanging “tree-houses” made from bamboo baskets, where visitors can enjoy meditative views of the lake. The playhouse has also been used as an event space for performances and exhibitions.

The design also features raised square platforms set at various levels to create different dimensions across the open structure. Jamil took her inspiration from traditional structures called wakafs, which serve as resting places for village communities in Malaysia.

Contemporary architectural designs made of bamboo are a rare sight in Malaysia, but the playhouse is a creative example of how the sustainable material can be used in fun new ways for other structures. According to Dezeen, “The Bamboo Playhouse was shortlisted [in 2015] for an award for a World Architecture Festival, where bamboo was touted as a revolutionary building material by Dirk Hebel.”