Moon Bloom

Diaspora Stories Inspired
A Rain-harvesting Moongate

Moon Bloom is a striking participatory installation celebrating the Moon Festival in Sutton, London. Centred on the physical and symbolic qualities of the moon, the installation features a spiral moongate that harvests rainwater and nourishes nocturnal plantings, enriched by layers of diaspora voices including those of the newly-arrived Hong Kong community.

A rain-harvesting moongate

To signify the Moon Festival in a London town centre, Moon Bloom is a contemporary interpretation of a moongate, a classical eastern garden feature. Commissioned by Sutton Council and the London Festival of Architecture, the design process searched for a dynamic and immersive form that invites the public to approach, walk through and explore details in different ways. Preserving the circular, vista-framing essence of a moongate, it is reimagined as a flowing ribbon in a pure spiral form. Constructed from a framework of steel modules with rotational symmetry for self-support, the design was brought to life through fabrication by Jamps Studio, with structural input from Format Engineers. Within the modules, cascades of tarpaulin sails are erected to capture and channel rainwater into the base planters by taking advantage of UK’s wet climate, which provides over 600L of rainwater per square meter of roof each year.

A moth garden under moonlight

In collaboration with planting designer Susanna Grant, LINDA, a moth garden that comes alive under moonlight has become a vision image to the planting design, delivered through locally-sourced native plants. It includes a sensory collection of light and scented perennials that glow with reflection at dusk and attract night moths. A variety of flower shapes, such as hardy begonia and tobacco plant are included to appeal to a wide range of pollinators. Evergreen and silvery foliage are integrated, along with grasses to add texture and movement. Climbers like sausage vine and clematis provide vertical interest, while wild privet offers height and perches for birds, adding a naturalistic dimension to the installation.

The Moon Festival ritual of coming together

The social texture of Moon Bloom emerged through an inclusive participatory process with Sutton's communities over several weeks, beginning with the growing Hongkonger community and extending to other refugees, migrants, and generational diaspora groups. Participants were invited to share their stories by layering marks on a large tarpaulin canvas, reframing individual migration narratives into a shared collective experience. The striped tarpaulin, a durable and low-cost fabric emblematic of Hong Kong’s informal urban landscape, evokes the grassroots life of its migrant communities. Initially serving as a medium for community engagement, it is then reused as rain-harvesting materials and proudly displayed in the installation.

After its time as a festival installation, Moon Bloom found a permanent home as a landscape feature in a new cancer research development in Sutton, offering a peaceful space for patients, families, healthcare workers, and medical professionals alike.

Commissioners

Sutton Council and London Festival of Architecture

Design

Adrienne Lau of Edgy Collective

Fabrication

Jamps Studio

Planting Design

Susanna Grant, LINDA

Planting Cultural Advisor

Marko Yau

Textile

Roka Brings Flowers