Torino, Italy
Italian architect Carlo Ratti and American artist, engineer, architect, and inventor of folding toys and structures, Chuck Hoberman, have come up with a unique green solution for a folding umbrella that produces not only provides protection from UV rays, but also produces coolness and electricity using sun rays.
The first 12 of the umbrellas will be installed in Milan’s Biblioteca Degli Alberi in the Porta Nuova district as a “green oasis” this June during LidoBAM.
Sammontana, an Italian manufacturing of ice cream, is sponsoring the event.
Ratti and Hoberman’s umbrellas are equipped with photovoltaic panels and a faceted surface that absorbs light from all angles.
Their technology used to generate electricity is inspired by the solar batteries in NASA’s space vehicles and is employed to power a refrigerator for drinks and fresh food.
When connected together, the umbrellas – 250 cm high and 320 cm in diameter when open – also provide power for an entire ice cream freezer counter.
Sammontana envisions the umbrellas as a new sustainable experience for Italian beaches this summer.
Project: Eco-Umbrellas for Sammontana
Designers: Carlo Ratti Associati and Chuck Hoberman
Client: Sammontana SpA
