City of Dreams Pavilion Design Competition

There have been many installations of parasols throughout the city over the last few years.  Either exhibited as public art or for retail environments.  The City of Dreams Competition at Governors Island called for the design of a temporary pavilion that would provide shade for outdoor performances and recreation.  We chose the classic white parasol as our main design and shading element.      


Clustered into groups with vertical bamboo masts, the parasols are held together in tension and compression and would be able to sway with the wind.  At the base of the masts are concrete supports cast out of the negative space of the parasols. These supports would also act as seating elements and some would be laid out independently to provide more flexible seating options.    

As part of the competition requirements, we submitted a bill of materials and estimated costs. We did not include cost of labor as this would have been an all volunteer endeavor.

Although we were not able to move on to the next round of this competition it was a great exercise in creative and collaborative thinking.  For now the parasol pavilion will be put aside as we focus on the next big competition.