Architecture practice Snøhetta plans to build a perforated canopy as part of the Moody Patio alongside the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas.
Designed to evoke giant petals, 15 slim columns will blossom into curved forms to provide shade across a plaza next to the museum in Austin.
The canopy will be lit up at night
Called the Moody Patio, the area earmarked for this redesign sits between two buildings, across from a pavilion with rainbow windows built on campus by the artist Ellsworth Kelly.
Snøhetta designed the structure to mirror the arches of the loggia that runs along the ground floor of the museum building. The archways will frame views of Kelly's pavilion and of the Texas Capitol building.
Raised beds filled with native plants will sit below the canopy Perforations in the new canopy will allow sunlight to filter through and create constellations of dappled light and shade.
This new shady place will provide a place for visitors to the Blanton Museum of Art to gather outside while protected from the fierce Texan sun. Temperatures in Austin can reach 38 degrees Celsius in the summertime.
Archways will frame views of the Texas Capitol
A pathway will wind through the Moody Patio bordered by raised beds filled with 25,000 plants ? the majority of which will be native species such as dwarf palmetto, Texas gold columbine and Cherokee sedge.
Two raised platforms will be built for use as stages for live music performances. Next to the canopy, a grass lawn w...