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

© Lain Lynn

Architects: People's Architecture Office

Location: Preston, Preston, Lancashire, UK

Architect In Charge: He Zhe, James Shen, Zang Feng

Design Team: Xu Xi, Jiang Hao, Charlotte Yu

Client: In Certain Places

Project Year: 2015

Photographs: Lain Lynn, Courtesy of People?s Architecture Office (PAO), ICP, Tony Worrall, Bernie Blackburn

© ICP

From the architect. The People's Canopy is architecture for events and architecture as event. 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.
© ICP

The People's Canopy is a two-story high expandable roof structure on bicycle wheels that can seat up to 10 cyclists. 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. Spaces for automobiles are turned into spaces for pedestrians and event...