A spectacular temporary structure called Golden Moon was designed by LEAD - an acronym for Laboratory for Explorative Architecture and Design - as part of the annual Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong, an event with strong cultural ties to the heritage and myths of the region. Situated in a shallow pool in Victoria Park the ‘flaming’ orb refers to the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess and her passionate meetings with her husband Houyi, who lived on Earth.
The 60 ft. high structure took just 11 days to complete by using what the designers term as ‘building complexity’ - a method of complex geometry in its simplest form and the combination of digital design technology as a computer program with traditional crafts and basic materials. Bamboo scaffolding and a metal frame form the basis of the shape with flame like frames on the outside covered in 8 colors of stretch fabric in grading shades which represent the flames of passion of the ill-fated lovers.
Led lighting creates a constant light show from inside and outside of the structure which is capable of holding up to 150 people at any given time. During the 6 days of the festival, more than 500.000 visitors entered the dynamic space which was awarded first prize for the Lantern Wonderland competition launched by the Hong Kong Tourist Board!
