Current Situation and Solution: The Lilas Mushroom Outdoor Sunshade Design – Art and Light
In landscape architecture and outdoor event space design, creating a structure that provides both functional shade and high artistic expression is a challenge. The Lilas mushroom-shaped outdoor parasol installation for the Serpentine Gallery’s annual summer party is a prime example of this solution. The structure consists of three identical fabric parasols, arranged like mushroom umbrellas around the centre of the space. The work is inspired by the complex natural geometry of flower petals and leaves, creating a graceful canopy from a slender base, over five metres high. The parasols overlap, cleverly intertwining without touching, mediating between open and closed spaces, while allowing air, light and sound to pass through the narrow gaps in the pavilion.
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Technical Requirements Analysis & Solution Context
The design of a temporary structure for an outdoor summer event presented a number of complex requirements: the structure needed to provide effective shade during the day, but also transform into a dramatic light source at night. The complex organic shape required precise fabrication and installation techniques to ensure structural stability and the desired aesthetic. Additionally, the structure had to be flexible to accommodate the open environment, allowing for the circulation of air, light and sound, without obstructing the view or visitor experience. The ability to be installed on a low pedestal and accessible from all sides were also important design considerations that had to be addressed.
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Technical Solutions
The Lilas mushroom-shaped outdoor parasol is a $5.5\text{m}$ tall outdoor structure consisting of three identical tensile fabric parasols arranged in a row around a centroid, demonstrating geometric complexity.
Design features
Inspired by the complex repeating shapes of nature such as the Lilac Hibiscus, the three parasols continuously overlap, above their first neighbour and below their next neighbour, creating a complex set of arcs that express the pavilion’s key conceptual feature: complex symmetry. As the parasols intertwine, they often do so without touching each other, allowing air, light and sound to pass through the narrow gaps in both open and closed states. Raised on a low platform set in an open field lined with trees to the south of the Serpentine Gallery, The Lilas is a free-standing installation and accessible from all sides. During the day, it provides shade, while at night, the installation undergoes a process of converting energy into a source of illumination. From the continuous illumination around each base, light is projected onto the fabric surface along very thin seams that radiate around the parasols and act like flowers or floral patterns revealing the geometric complexity of the structure and highlighting the overall architectural form in calligraphic arcs.
Material and structure
The PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) fabric used for The Lilas mushroom shaped outdoor parasols is heat welded together to form a structural bond. This heat welding technique can be applied in a number of ways to ensure the structural stability of the tensioning system. For the installation of The Lilas, the welding or joining of the fabric was developed in vertical strips to create a corseted effect along the majority of the arc. The final piece of fabric consists of 26 continuous panels. The detailed joining was developed by rolling the fabric over the main support rings at the top and bottom, ensuring the overall appearance of the structure is seamless and flowing. The overlap ensures that the fabric creates a continuous line around the tube, and from below the joining is hidden from view by the angle, contributing to the overall beauty.
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Results and Performance Evaluation
The installation of The Lilas mushroom-shaped outdoor parasol has successfully created a unique and multifunctional structure for the Serpentine Gallery. The structure not only provides effective shade during the day but also transforms into an impressive light source at night, creating a strong visual effect and a unique experience for visitors. The complex geometric design inspired by nature, together with advanced PVC heat-welding techniques, has realized a structure that is both sustainable and highly aesthetic. The ability to interact with air, light and sound, together with the free-standing nature and access from all sides, has created an open and flexible space, perfect for event activities. The Lilas mushroom-shaped outdoor parasol is not only a functional structure but also a work of art, demonstrating the harmonious combination of architecture, engineering and nature.
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Contact Technical Consulting
Flexiiform is proud to be one of the leading units in Vietnam providing solutions for designing and constructing tensioned canvas. With its predecessor originating from the company FasTech, Flexiiform team gathers experts with over 10 years of experience in the industry along with a team of consultants providing the right solution according to the requirements for a variety of models and projects at home and abroad. We are committed to providing The Lilas mushroom-shaped outdoor sunshade solutions and similar structures with high quality, breakthrough in design and optimal efficiency, suitable for art spaces and events.
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Contact information:
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