Bundles of laminated bamboo will carry a roof 30 metres across at a new bomba drum performance campus in northern Ecuador. The shape of the building starts with the bomba, a drum made by people in the region.
Ecuadorian studio Caá Porá Arquitectura, founded in 2014, masterplanned the Bombódromo. It worked with US-based Jerome Haferd Studio and engineer Juan Sebastián Pérez. The site sits in Carchi province, north of Quito, on the Chota River in an Andean valley.
Inside the bomba drum performance campus
The campus will include dozens of buildings arranged around a large auditorium, forming a regional performance centre. The local government commissioned the plan to celebrate Afro-Ecuadorian culture.
The campus’s Afro-Ecuadorian roots invite comparison with museum shows that trace African heritage through contemporary art. Exhibitions on African identity and tradition at Haggerty offers a useful parallel for readers interested in how cultural memory takes physical form.
Jerome Haferd, whose studio is based in Harlem, New York, describes the work as a bridge between two traditions.
“The inspiration for a lot of the design language was kind of to bridge African and Andean design languages and ancestral aesthetics,” Haferd told Dezeen.
He said the project embodies that idea. The team worked closely with people in the region to shape the concept. Haferd describes the result as a hybrid of the Andes and Africa, built from materials found in the valley.
The main performance space is designed to hold more than 10,000 people. Its roof system spans 30 metres across and rests on bundled columns.
Each column combines laminated bamboo with timber. The bamboo construction echoes the bomba and the region’s wider building methods.
Acoustic fabric will hang from timber rafters, leaving the performance space semi-enclosed. Stone buildings will line the sides of the space and house the back-of-house rooms.
Outdoors, a tiered gathering area will sit among low trees near the river. It will also serve as the main viewing platform for performances.
For another large performance venue shaped by its acoustics and public gathering, see Frank Gehry’s Abu Dhabi youth concert hall unveiled, which shows how a stage-centred building can serve young musicians and audiences alike.
Up to eight outbuildings will join the campus, including classrooms, a restaurant and artisan kiosks. Their metal roofs and rammed-earth walls continue local building techniques.
The team worked with the local group Fundación Casa Oshun on community outreach. In its own words, the team describes the project as a “radical, place-based reinterpretation of how a performing arts venue can respond to a unique cultural context while accommodating flexible uses.”
The timing is not settled. Dezeen reports that construction is expected to start in 2027. Jerome Haferd Studio’s project listing gives an expected completion of 2026.
The campus is part of a wider run of work for the partners. A team including SANAA, Caá Porá Arquitectura, Estudio A0 and Jerome Haferd Studio was selected to design the National Museum of Ecuador in Quito. Dezeen reports that the original museum design was cancelled after community backlash.
If built as drawn, this campus will shape a space for more than 10,000 people.
Via dezeen.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the bomba drum performance campus in Ecuador?
Ecuadorian studio Caá Porá Arquitectura masterplanned the bomba drum performance campus, called the Bombódromo. It worked with US-based Jerome Haferd Studio and engineer Juan Sebastián Pérez.
Where is the bomba drum performance campus located?
The campus sits in Carchi province, north of Quito, Ecuador. It is on the Chota River in an Andean valley.
How large is the main performance space at the Bombódromo?
The main performance space is designed to hold more than 10,000 people. Its roof system spans 30 metres across and rests on bundled columns.
What materials will the bomba performance campus be built from?
The campus uses laminated bamboo combined with timber in its bundled columns, which echoes the bomba drum and regional building methods. Outbuildings will have metal roofs and rammed-earth walls, continuing local building techniques.
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