About Bambuco

Watch the bamboo bridge being constructed on the Tyne Bridge Webcam. 

To view photographs of the construction process click here.

Simon Barley founded Bambuco in 1998. In 1993, while sitting by the Yarra River in Melbourne, he began thinking about building his own bridge over the river. A material that was light and inexpensive was needed. For the next two years Simon researched bamboo construction, mainly in SE Asia, and experimented with different systems and adaptations.1995 marked his seventh year as designer in residence with the contemporary dance company, Danceworks. Together they presented this first foray into large scale bamboo installation and performance – Bridge – built for Melbourne International Arts Festival over a two week period followed by a season of aerial dance performance.

Curiously, the audience seemed more captivated by the two week construction process than by the spectacular performance…the idea of bamboo construction as performance began here.


The Concept

The company creates structures from bamboo and rope. There is nothing unusual about this – people have been building structures from bamboo for thousands of years. What makes Bambuco’s work unusual is the sheer scale of the installations and the spectacular upward progress of the builders.

Audiences are also attracted by the apparent danger.

The sudden disappearance of the installation at the end of the project asserts the essential ephemeral nature of the work; into the newly cleared site rushes an absence – an empty space that was not there before we arrived. This is the heart of the work.


The Company

Construction crew members are all experienced rock climbers. While the core company is made up of Australians, company policy is to teach and employ local climbers in the destination country for each project. Now there is a growing number of international crew, especially in Europe. Company policy also ensures a balance of men and women on each crew. Everyone within the company has defined roles but in practise everyone, including the director, is physically involved in construction – everyone gets their dirty hands.

During construction Bambuco’s Berlin-based sound designer creates a sound-scape, partly interactive, partly made of resonance of the structure; wholly integral to the work.

The construction process acts as a public focus; people are inevitably very curious and a lively interaction between company members and passers-by ensues. Thus the public image of the company has evolved: determined and highly skilled men and women, but also good humoured and open.

Bambuco director Simon Barley passed away on August 6 2007 in Natimuk, Australia.


The Bamboo

‘Moso’ is the common name of the species Phyllostachys pubescens, the bamboo most commonly used for scaffolding in Asia. Shipped directly from plantations in Anji province in China, our bamboo has been selected by cutters who know our requirements – six years old, large diameter and relatively straight.

Each shipment may be used several times and one full container is stored year round in Belgium. Usually one additional shipment is brought into Europe each year containing about 500 ten metre lengths.

Moso is not a species eaten by panda bears.

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