Daydreamers Design creates flame-coloured pavilion from recycled plastic bricks

Hong Kong studio Daydreamers Design has reinterpreted a traditional Chinese burning tower as a spiralling pavilion made from recycled plastic around a geometric flame sculpture.

The six-metre-high Wishing Pavilion was created by Daydreamers Design for Hong Kong's annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, which took place in Victoria Park.

Constructed from red, coral and yellow bricks to create a flame effect, the pavilion pays homage to traditional, brick burning towers.

"Wishing Pavilion is inspired by the unique custom of the burning tower in southern China," said Daydreamers Design. "It is the reinterpretation of a burning tower transformed into a contemporary pavilion."

The studio used 5,000 coloured bricks wrapped around a metal frame to create the double helix structure of the pavilion.

Each of the bricks contains an LED lights so that the flame-like effect can be enhanced at night.

"With the flame-like colour tone, the pavilion is a celebration," explained the studio.

"At night, an LED light programmed with lighting effect is then installed into each plastic brick to complement the festive atmosphere of the occasion," it continued. "With the lighting, the pavilion presented a flame-like ambience."

Each of the blocks was made from a recycled-plastic material called High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE).

Coloured powder was added to the plastic pellets to give the material its vibrant hues. Yellow, coral, red and orange blocks are arranged in a staggering order and create a colour gradient across the spiralling structure.

According to the studio, the Wishing Pavilion marked Hong Kong's first large-scale architecture project to use recycled plastic bricks. "It is the first time to use upcycling plastic bricks for a large-scale architecture in Hong Kong," it said.

The brick walls enclosed a red geometric, flame-like sculpture covered with miniature yellow lanterns – a nod to the traditional Chinese practice of paper crafting.

Visitors were also invited to view the mid-autumn full moon from inside through a circular skylight topping the pavilion.

Mid-Autumn Festival takes place every year during the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

Wishing Pavilion was commissioned by Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for last year's event held in Hong Kong's Victoria Park from 13-27 September 2019.