During the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the Umbra Pavilion was presented, a design by Arnhems Studio Pauline van Dongen supported by the Municipality of Arnhem. The pavilion, which provides shade and captures solar energy, will be placed in Arnhems city center next year.
Shade and Solar Energy Capture
The Umbra Pavilion is a design made from heliotex. This is a lightweight and flexible fabric that provides shade and cooling during hot days while simultaneously generating solar energy. In the evening, the stored energy ensures the pavilion is atmospherically lit. The design by Studio Pauline van Dongen and Tentech shows how we can keep our cities cooler in the future with beautiful designs while capturing solar energy.
Alderman for Sustainability Cathelijne Bouwkamp: “In the Umbra Pavilion, beauty and sustainability come together. With this beautiful Arnhem design, we can create shade in places where trees cannot be planted. And we show that generating solar energy can also be done in a way that truly adds something to our streets and squares. Not only does the fabric provide a pleasant place to rest, but the design also fits nicely with the architecture of our city.”
Pauline van Dongen: “The Umbra Pavilion embodies the power of design: a public place that amazes and a testing ground where we practice solar textiles. Thanks to the support of the Municipality of Arnhem, which emphasizes and stimulates the importance of design within technology and transitions, we can build a city that is both climate-resilient and inviting.”
Umbra Pavilion in Arnhem
The Umbra Pavilion is shown for the first time during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. In the summer of 2026, the design will be placed at Audrey Hepburn Square in the center of Arnhem. Here, research will be conducted on how the Umbra Pavilions fabric helps reduce the perceived temperature during hot summer days, as part of the Cool Network that Arnhem is working to realize. “The Umbra Pavilion allows people in Arnhem to easily get acquainted with solutions for climate adaptation and the energy transition,” says alderman Cathelijne Bouwkamp.
