TWISTY
Art Basel
Miami

C L O U D I










In collaboration with Sunbrella, one of America's most prominent outdoor shading system companies, Architizer held an open competition to discover the next generation of shading systems. We were fortunate to emerge as the winners of this endeavor1.
Our approach was inspired by the constant annoyance of shades producing a rattling noise during the typhoon season in Hong Kong. This led us to study the helix structure, which, when twisted, exponentially increases the fabric's stiffness based on the number of twists achieved. In our original brief, we envisioned a mechanical system that could twist each shading strand via a computer-controlled console, harnessing solar energy.
A special fabric, created by Sunbrella America, was integral to our research. The external panel was white, while the internal panel was blue. After winning this global competition, Art Basel Miami invited us to realize a prototype version of this pavilion during their annual festival.
Located in one of the most prominent areas of the festival, just a ten-minute walk from Gianni Versace's monumental house, our booth attracted many Hollywood stars, including Paris Hilton and Dustin Hoffman who both enjoyed a glass of Prosecco inside Twisty.
Although the current version of the system lacks mechanical twisting movement, we hope that future research will continue to explore this aspect. The twisting motion could increase light filtration and the torsional stiffness of the entire structure, creating a unified and beautiful space.
This project was perfectly suited for Miami, as it was designed for solar shading rather than rain protection. We hope that photovoltaic cells can be employed to power the entire installation in the future, allowing this design to reach its full potential.