Courtyard Canopy
dyD Studios, New York City

Budget and timeframe were tremendously tight, greatly limiting the products and processes available. Three sculptural canopies zigzag across the entire space, leading one from entry to the bar, past the kitchen, to the romantic seating area and finally, ending in an outdoor courtyard. Conceived through sketches and paper models; the canopies were developed digitally and then, tested once again in physical model. CAD/CAM fabrication proved too expensive, so the office fabricated and installed the canopies by hand. Beginning from a flat square panel, a cross incision at the center is pleated in opposite directions of the z-axis. The panels are put together in a large grid and suspended at two edges to form a catenary curve. Two ends are then brought together to distort the shape into a half cone. Three of these half cones are set along the diagonal axes described above. The final rear courtyard canopies open the cones to form a restful, wing like cover.