People'S Architecture Office 众建筑

People's Canopy

People's Canopy

PEOPLE'S CANOPY

People’s Architecture Office

STATUS
Built

AREA
0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET
$10K - 50K

YEAR
2015

LOCATION
United Kingdom

TYPE
Commercial › Pop-Up,Cultural › Cultural Center Pavilion

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

The People's Canopy is architecture for events and architecture as event.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

They are retractable canopies that can cycled by citizens, paraded through the city and expanded over the length of entire streets, linking disconnected public space.

The People's Canopy is a two-story high expandable roof structure on bicycle wheels that can seat up to 10 cyclists.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

It is designed to collapse to the size of a double-decker bus so that it can be pedaled from one location to another.

When parked, a canopy can open like an accordion to 12 meters in length at a span of 10 meters to cover entire streets.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

Spaces for automobiles are turned into spaces for pedestrians and events.

The design was first commissioned by the city of Preston in the UK and In Certain Places, an arts program for urban interventions and events.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

The aim of the program is to connect underused public spaces and re-energize Preston’s grand but declining historic center.

Urban sprawl and air conditioned shopping malls have driven residents away from the open streets and public spaces of the rainy city.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

The design references expandable canopies popular in Southern China.

These are typically used by small businesses such as restaurants and bars to temporarily expand their spaces into parking lots and public sidewalks in an informal way.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

Over a dozen canopies were designed and fabricated in Beijing and assembled in Preston.

A series of events were organized around the People’s Canopies, which were paraded through the city and cycled by citizens of Preston.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

The canopies were also installed in various locations around the city, linking public squares and markets.

These canopied streets housed a myriad of cultural events including the Lancashire Encounters Festival with musical performances, street theater, Preston Pride, and Burlesque.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

As a mobile cultural venue the People's Canopy will remain a fixture in the city of Preston for years to come.

Following their debut in Preston, the People’s Canopies were featured in the 2015 Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Hong Kong. 

People's Canopy
People's Canopy

Installed in Kowloon Park they were continually relocated, expanded and contracted to support various public activities.

Events were planned for the canopies but the public was also encouraged to engage in unexpected ways.

People's Canopy
People's Canopy
People's Canopy

People'S Architecture Office 众建筑
T +86 10 65238106
People'S Architecture Office 众建筑
No. 37 Tiaozhou Hutong, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, China 100051 北京市西城区笤帚胡同37号