Natural Architecture

'fog pad' by n architects, 2004

CANOPY - MoMA/P.S.1 YOUNG ARCHITECTS PROGRAM 2004 Canopy was a temporary structure in the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center's courtyard, built out of freshly cut green bamboo poles that turned from green to tan throughout the summer. The project relies on a singular tectonic system to bind together provisions for overhead shade, seating and varying atmospheres, resulting in what the architects envisage as a 'deep landscape' that affects the entire depth of the courtyard. Pinches in the bamboo lattice produce a range of shadow densities and patterns across the courtyard and throughout the day. Dips in the canopy define rooms open to the sky, each with a distinct climatic environment for different modes and scales of lounging: Pool Pad, the largest outdoor room, incorporates a wading pool; Fog Pad consists of fog nozzles that spread a cool halo of mist; Rock Pad is a dry elevated region of gravel, Meeting Pad provides an intimate seat for five, Rainforest features a sound environment and water misters that provide intermittent rain showers; and Sand Hump's half open ellipse orients itself to maximize exposure to sun and shade.