Umbrellas as Architecture to Protect the Streets

Yesterday, we were concerned that umbrellas were blocking the access to the beaches in Thailand. Today, we have the better news that we are adding umbrella-like structure to our city streets. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the "Urban Umbrella" is coming: Young-Hwan Choi, a University of Pennsylvania architecture student has devised an elegant new design for the sidewalk sheds that protect pedestrians during construction.

He calls the design the "Urban Umbrella," because the steel columns open up like the bones of an umbrella to support the shed roof.

Those curved struts appear to weave together, forming an arched canopy that calls to mind the ribs of vaulted medieval ceilings, such as the one at England's Exeter Cathedral. While we admire such soaring vaults for their looks, they were developed because of their inherent strength. The streamlined Urban Umbrella can support as much weight as the bulky cross braces now in use, yet it promises a clear, airy path for pedestrians.

Go urban, umbrellas, go urban!