Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Instant public space kit

A group of students and graduates from the Architectural Association school in London have produced a kit that can help turn unused spaces into public amenities. This bright yellow awning is slung from telegraph poles and buildings using cables and can be erected in just four hours! These kits is being featured at a current exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. Called Design For The Other 90%, the exhibition features designs that improve the lives of the world’s poor. Runs from 4 May to 27 September 2007.

2 comments:

"a rare thing" said...

You gotta love it when art and engineering come together. I live in Texas (where the heat can kill), and something as simple as a shade can not only make a space beautiful, but it can also save lives. What a neat concept for the exhibit, and kudos for the designers that came up with that kit.

laissezfaire said...

This is literally a "cool" idea, isn't it? And it doesn't look like it cost a bomb! Lightweight shades and tents have been around for the longest time but it just takes a sensitive designer to think of using it to shade an intermediate space like a street to make it more bearable in the heat. What I really like about it too is that it is supported by existing urban elements such as light lamp and telephone posts.