April 2013 • In Production
Sidewalk Save
The Urban Umbrella turns scaffolding into a pleasant sight for pedestrians.
By Shannon Sharpe
CLEAR SPAN
12 feet
Anyone who’s walked down a city block knows that nothing destroys a neighborhood’s beauty more than construction scaffolding. In 2009, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched the urbanSHED International Design Competition, challenging designers to create a sidewalk shed that’s beautiful, sustainable, and economical, while meeting safety requirements.
University of Pennsylvania student Young-Hwan Choi joined forces with architect Andrés Cortés, structural engineer Sarrah Khan, and designer Scott Wagner, all from the design firm Agencie Group, to create the Urban Umbrella. “We love cities and feel people should be stimulated during their transit between places,” says Cortés. “We’ve always found scaffolds oppressive.” The designers used umbrellas—lightweight and portable—as the inspiration for an elegant, harmonious shield from debris. There were multiple design iterations, but the team never lost sight of its goal. “It comes back to respect for the pedestrian experience,” says Cortés. Their focus paid off—the award-winning design debuted in New York City in December 2011; expect a new and improved version soon on a sidewalk near you.
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