At this year’s Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the Umbra Pavilion was unveiled: a striking creation by the Arnhem-based Studio Pauline van Dongen, supported by the City of Arnhem. The pavilion, which both provides shade and captures solar energy, will find its permanent place in Arnhem’s city centre next year.
The Umbra Pavilion is made from heliotex, a lightweight and flexible textile that offers shade and cooling during hot days while simultaneously generating solar energy. At night, the stored energy powers a soft, atmospheric light. The design by Studio Pauline van Dongen and Tentech demonstrates how cities of the future can stay cooler through beautiful design - while also producing clean energy in public spaces.
A fusion of beauty and sustainability
Cathelijne Bouwkamp, Arnhem’s Alderman for Sustainability, explains:The Umbra Pavilion unites beauty and sustainability. With this beautiful Arnhem design, we can create shade in places where trees can’t be planted and show that generating solar energy can also add aesthetic and social value to our public spaces. It offers a pleasant place to rest and blends harmoniously with the city’s architecture.”
Designer Pauline van Dongen adds: “The Umbra Pavilion embodies the power of design: a public place that inspires wonder and serves as a living lab to test solar textiles in real life. Thanks to the support of the City of Arnhem, which recognizes the role of design in technology and transitions, we can shape a city that is both climate-resilient and inviting.”
Part of Arnhem’s Cool Network
The Umbra Pavilion is an innovative design exploring new ways to create shade in public spaces. The project contributes to Arnhem’s broader Cool Network, a citywide initiative that investigates how design and innovation can help reduce heat stress in urban environments. In the summer of 2026, the pavilion will be installed at Audrey Hepburnplein, where researchers will study how the solar textile helps lower perceived temperatures on hot days.
With support from Cool Cities
