As part of Low Carbon Chinatown, a Pop-Up Structure built from low carbon materials and processes will be installed in Chinatown this September and featured in London Design Festival 2022
Built from low carbon materials and processes, the structure will host a series of sit-down tastings featuring low carbon dishes chosen and developed by London’s East and South East Asian communities alongside a data scientist and acclaimed Asian food writers. The tastings will be accompanied by discussions and talks on the data science of climate change and how it relates to Chinese heritage and food culture.
Low Carbon Chinatown is a project by designer, artist and CAN Associate Artist Director, Ling Tan. The low carbon Pop-Up Structure is designed by Ling and designer Usman Haque, both trained as architects, supported by structural engineers Atelier One, and fabricated by Gary Campbell.
The Pop-Up Structure is intended to showcase other aspects of tackling the Climate Crisis by adopting low carbon approaches to designing and fabricating sustainable touring works. Designed to be easily assembled/disassembled and transported by a small electric van, the structure is made from a range of materials that are sustainable/low-carbon or easily recyclable in existing facilities once touring ends.
The Pop-Up Structure is intended to showcase other aspects of tackling the Climate Crisis by adopting low carbon approaches to designing and fabricating sustainable touring works. Designed to be easily assembled/disassembled and transported by a small electric van, the structure is made from a range of materials that are sustainable/low-carbon or easily recyclable in existing facilities once touring ends.
The Structure has three key components: a Preparation Unit, a long Banquet Table, and a Pleated Canopy. These are made primarily from three materials:
- UK grown Bamboo for structural members
- EnviroHoard for cladding and surfaces
- Tyvek for sun/rain protection
In addition, all the chairs used in the Pop-Up have been lent to us by different nearby Chinatown businesses, placing the project within a local sharing economy – with thanks to Min Tea, Wing Wing, Pot Pot Matatang, Jin Li, New Canton, Ku Bar, Gourmet Kitchen, Shanghai Modern, Candy Cafe, Imperial China, Mi Canteen, Monga, Dumplings’ Legend, Leong’s Legend, Real Beijing, Shu Xiang Ge, Wan Chai Corner and New China.
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- UK grown bamboo
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- EnviroHoard
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- Tyvek
UK Grown Bamboo
The bamboo used in the Pop-Up Structure was grown and harvested from Ness Botanic Gardens in Liverpool (UK).
Borinda bamboo originated from mountainous Tibet and was first propagated in Shropshire (UK) many years ago by one of a few UK bamboo experts, Michael Brisbane. Borinda bamboo is a hardy plant that thrives in different climates. When harvested, it is a strong and sustainable material with many uses in different industries such as construction and design. It has a powerful capacity for capturing carbon, particularly as a result of its growth rate. In contrast to trees, bamboo plants regenerate quickly after being harvested. There is a growing initiative in the UK to explore the use of bamboo as a future sustainable building material for the planet. The bamboo used in the Pop-up was kindly donated by Liverpool City Region.
EnviroHoard
The surfaces, counters and cladding of the Pop-Up Structure are fabricated using EnviroHoard panels, a recyclable alternative to typical construction hoarding panels.
Developed by UK-based Panthera Group, and normally used in construction sites as hoarding, the panels are made of recycled PVC collected through various construction processes. In contrast to normal hoarding, they are typically reused up to three times on different sites over several years , and then recycled and processed again to be used as new hoarding panels. Panthera Group has kindly donated Class B pre-used EnviroHoard panels to the project.
Tyvek
The canopy of the Pop-Up Structure is constructed from pleated Tyvek. While not strictly speaking low-carbon itself, Tyvek is a lightweight paper-like substance that can be easily repurposed and recycled.
It is lightweight, waterproof and a high-value recyclable material, often used in banners and disposable protective wear, which can be mechanically recycled into products such as underground cable protection piping, automotive parts, blown film, packaging cores and trays. Made with 100% HDPE, Tyvek is readily recyclable for its second life in existing recycling facilities. Tyvek from the Pop-up will be repurposed and recycled once it reaches the end of its touring.
Reserve your space here
Come see this amazing low carbon Pop-Up Structure and join us in a series of delicious, interactive and performative sit down tastings and short talks over four days from 17th-20th September – featuring no less than three delicious low carbon dishes chosen and developed by London’s East and South East Asian (ESEA) communities alongside a data scientist and acclaimed Asian food writers MiMi Aye, Uyen Luu and Shu Han Lee.
** Following the announcement regarding Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral date, as a mark of respect, our Low Carbon Chinatown sit down tastings that was originally planned to take place on Monday 19th September, will now be cancelled.
The pop up structure will still be on site if you are interested to see it.
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