blossoming beach umbrella turns solar power into cooling + refrigeration

sammontana, italy’s leading gelato and frozen desserts brand has teamed up with design and innovation firm CRA – carlo ratti associati as well as architect italo rota to develop a beach umbrella that uses solar energy to provide cooling and refrigeration. seeking to present a more sustainable approach to summer enjoyment, the project takes shape as a photovoltaic array blossoming open like a work of origami. the first prototypes of the beach umbrella will be showcased in milan, italy, at BAM – biblioteca degli alberi di milano. 

all images courtesy of CRA – carlo ratti associati

the beach umbrella designed by CRA – carlo ratti associati and italo rota for sammontana, is 2.5 meters high (8.2 feet) with a diameter of 3.2 meters (10.5 feet). foldable photovoltaic panels on top of the umbrella absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity, powering coolers and nebulizers underneath. the umbrella features a mini-refrigerator that allows users to keep food and drinks fresh even during the warmest of days. meanwhile, electric power from either one or multiple umbrellas can be pooled together to power a large ice-cream refrigerator. the modular system is conceived to be scalable, bringing clean energy to any beachfront resort.

the foldable photovoltaic array was developed in collaboration with harvard university professor chuck hoberman, known for developing transformable structures at the crossroads of art, architecture, and engineering. such structures allow changing an object’s shape or function through deployable, foldable, or demountable elements. drawing influence from photovoltaic systems on NASA’s spacecraft, hoberman helped structure this transformable umbrella system that combines retractable coverings, joint design, and dynamic building methods.

project info:

name: cool under the sun
design: CRA – carlo ratti associati
design team: carlo ratti, andrea cassi (project manager), matteo zerbi, luca giacolini, alessandro peretti griva, serena giardina, cra graphics team: gary di silvio, pasquale mileri, gianluca zimbardi
creative lead: italo rota
design consultancy: chuck hoberman
brand: sammontana