canopy

Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers > Blog > canopy

Tag: canopy

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong
CategoriesArchitecture

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong

By Zarkon Group,

New Office Works’ canopy uplifts Cheung Sha Wan Promenade

 

New Office Works has introduced an undulating canopy to the Cheung Sha Wan waterfront promenade in Hong Kong. The structure is intended to offer shade and protection, resembling the aggregation of docked boats commonly seen along the harborfront. Positioned amidst a mix of older and newer developments on the west side of the Kowloon Peninsula, it links residential and commercial zones to the northwest with a wholesale food market to the southeast. As a part of a broader waterfront upgrade, it establishes connections between the pier and promenade and the city through three main pathways: an open-air route leading to the MTR station, a pathway through the neighboring hotel’s central courtyard, and a more secluded path next to the residential complex. 

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong
all images by Rory Gardiner

 

 

a Design taking its cues from Waterfront Heritage

 

The design of the canopy draws inspiration from the site’s history, particularly the active cargo offloading and the docking of boats around the pier. Divided into five shifting strips, the canopy allows for varied spatial experiences and promotes natural ventilation through well-placed voids. During the day, sunlight filters through the shelter, creating interesting light and shadow effects. At night, the interior lighting gives it a distinct profile floating above the water. 

 

The canopy is built using a steel framework consisting of cylindrical columns and curved beams. Its highest section is positioned centrally, gradually declining in height on both sides. To avoid duplicating columns along the roof’s edge, the lower roof is hung from the higher one by a system of suspension rods. The upper roof is covered with a standing seam roof featuring grooves that accentuate its curved shape, while satin aluminum panels form the reflective ceiling below, mirroring the rippling water’s surface.

 

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong
the canopy is inspired by docked boats and historic cargo activity

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong
the design allows natural ventilation and light play

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong

undulating canopy by new office works shelters waterfront promenade in hong kong
the steel framework is made with cylindrical columns and curved beams

Reference

Studio Other Spaces museum courtyard in “canopy of glass and mirrors”
CategoriesArchitecture

Studio Other Spaces museum courtyard in “canopy of glass and mirrors”

By Zarkon Group,

Artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann’s firm Studio Other Spaces has created a sculptural work called Common Sky to enclose an open-air courtyard at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Created as part of a renovation of the museum led by architecture studio OMA’s New York office, Common Sky is a massive glass and mirror canopy created from hundreds of overlapping mirror and glass panels.

The installation encloses an open-air courtyard in the 1962 modernist Seymour H Knox Building designed by American architect Gordon Bunshaft, which was largely unused.

Glass canopy at buffalo museum
Studio Other Spaces created a canopy to enclose a courtyard in a mid-century Buffalo museum

“Common Sky is a dynamic, sculptural statement that combines a geometric language and a playful, poetic approach,” said Studio Other Spaces (SOS) co-founder Olafur Eliasson.

“As an artwork, it sensitizes you to the world outside, to the surrounding environment of Buffalo.”

“It draws your attention to things that are difficult to measure, and to things that depend on emotion and on your active involvement.”

View of the canopy from under the canopy
The canopy is made of alternating glass and steels layered on top of each other with a steel frame

The canopy is made from alternating mirror and glass panels, with two layers supported by white-painted steel, giving the structure depth.

At the centre of the courtyard, the panels coalesce into a funnel that meets the ground at the place where a hawthorn tree once stood in order to reference the history of the space. This tree-like form also supports the structure so as to eliminate the need for an additional support system, keeping the canopy open.

The choice to use mirrors instead of having an all-glass canopy came from a desire to create an insulating effect for the canopy.

Close up view of panels
The glass panels reflect sunlight, minimising heat gain

The mirrors reflect sunlight away from the canopy, which minimises heat gain within the canopy and reduces the need for air conditioning.

Light coming through the alternating panels creates a play of glare and shadow on the stone floor of the space, which is lined by a covered veranda on two sides.

SOS said that the choice in material and form was chosen to keep the connection with the environment that existed with the courtyard through “non-classical architectural” while respecting the style of the Bunshaft design.

Museum exterior view
The new courtyard is accessible to the public

“The structure forms a unique design that takes into account all of the surrounding elements from the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, including the park, and neighboring buildings,” said SOS co-founder Sebastian Behmann.

“We created a site-specific artwork that amplifies the existing situation and combines it with the idea of a modern courtyard.”

The use of glass also mirrors the new museum building designed by OMA for the site, which is enveloped in a glass facade.

As part of the revamp of the museum, OMA also created a new entrance to the Seymour H Knox Building, so the public can access the courtyard from the adjacent Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Delaware Park.

The studio worked with engineer Herwig Bretis from ArtEngineering and Petersberg-based steel constructor Hahner Technik on the project.

Low-light view of the canopy
the canopy funnels down to the ground at the spot where a hawthorn tree once stood

Studio Other Spaces was founded in 2014 in Berlin by Behmann and Eliasson.

Its other works include an “anti-monument” consisting of several diverse buildings in Ethiopia and a colourful, conical glass pavilion for a winery in California.

The photography is by Marco Cappelletti and Studio Other Spaces.

Reference

Solar Pavilion is a canopy topped with 380 colourful solar panels
CategoriesSustainable News

Solar Pavilion is a canopy topped with 380 colourful solar panels

By Zarkon Group,

Multicoloured solar panels act like roof tiles on top of the Solar Pavilion, a gathering space at this year’s Dutch Design Week created by local firm V8 Architects and design practice Marjan van Aubel Studio.

The pavilion was designed to resemble a giant beach chair, in a nod to the fact that the pavilion offers visitors a place to rest after seeing the designs on display at the design festival last week.

Red, orange and blue solar panels on a curved roof
The roof of the Solar Pavilion was formed from colourful photovoltaic panels

Masts, tension wires and reclaimed floor beams made from untreated steel supported the Solar Pavilion’s swooping roof.

Underneath, triangular timber sections were slotted into the corners of the steel beams to serve as seating, while a circular bench designed by Marjan van Aubel Studio occupied the centre of the space.

Solar Pavilion at Dutch Design Week by V8 Architects and Marjan van Aubel Studio
The pavilion was presented at Dutch Design Week

Two sets of stairs lead visitors to an opening in the curved roof, featuring 380 blue, orange and red photovoltaic panels that were mounted much like traditional roof tiles.

The panels produced approximately 7.5 kilowatts of energy at peak performance while on display at the design event, according to V8 Architects.

This energy was fed into an on-site battery and used at night to power lighting and electric heating panels mounted on the underside of the pavilion, mimicking the sensation of sitting in the sun during the day.

“Currently, energy is only harvested in a techno-functional way,” said V8 Architects co-founder Michiel Raaphorst. “We explore how to integrate the sun’s energy into our daily lives so that we can love and embrace it.”

The pavilion’s structure was intentionally left exposed so that visitors could visually understand how it works.

Public space under the roof of the Solar Pavilion
The energy harvested by the solar panels was used to light and heat the pavilion

This also made the structure reversible, so it could be easily disassembled and its parts reused after the event.

“It was planned that all materials would return to the companies that provided them,” V8 Architects told Dezeen.

“However, multiple parties have shown interest in the pavilion including a large festival. We are looking into different options at the moment.”

Solar Pavilion at Dutch Design Week by V8 Architects and Marjan van Aubel Studio
380 solar panels made up the pavilion’s canopy

The Solar Pavilion is also the final piece of the Solar Biennale – a month-long event organised by van Aubel and Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen to envision a future where everything is solar-powered.

“Solar energy needs a new, more personal perspective that is part of our culture,” explained Marjan van Aubel. “This pavilion demonstrates that solar energy can be experienced and used in a new way.”

“The pavilion is a sensory experience and, during Dutch Design Week, the place to poetically experience the harvesting of solar energy.”

Other designs that were on show at Dutch Design Week included a series of lampshades made from mushroom mycelium by Tallinn-based materials company Myceen and a rug that visualises the consequences of drought caused by climate change.

The photography is by Aiste Rakauskaite.

Solar Pavilion was on show from 21 to 30 October as part of Dutch Design Week 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference