Specificity of place is key to this shelter’s design: its columns and peaks are positioned according to analysis of surrounding mountain ranges. Commissioned as a stop-off point for drinks to be supplied to participants in the annual Tour de Banyuwangi Ijen cycling race, it also serves as a rest area for hikers or vehicle-based travellers visiting this spectacularly scenic region. Its canopy is made of petung bamboo, a local material, preserved traditionally by soaking in the river for 8 months. The 5-centimetre-wide laths are structured horizontally and vertically to create 3D shapes of mountains and craters. A central layer of thin, lightweight, transparent polycarbonate offers an unobtrusive protective roof. The structure is supported by five asymmetrically positioned bamboo-covered steel posts.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture