Czech designers Atelier SAD and Mmcité1 collaborated on the design of this mobile gazebo, which is covered in plywood scales that lend it the appearance of a pinecone.
Fittingly called Pinecone, the portable structure provides a shaded spot for public places. It is designed to be used as a place for children to play, as an outdoor classroom, space for relaxation, or to light a campfire. The structure can be moved and re-formed on the same day.
The self-supporting structure is formed of 109 waterproof plywood scales connected together with galvanised joints. Slots between the scales provide natural ventilation, while a hole in the roof allows smoke to escape.
Each plywood scale is angled so as to shelter and shade the occupants from the elements, while the weather-resistant coating prevents it from degrading over time.
"During the design process we were aiming to smash boundaries and move forwards. The Pinecone project was a big challenge for us, because it was more than just a one-dimensional product," said Mmcité designer David Karásek.
"It is on the cutting edge of architecture and design, and can even serve as a meditation space," he added.
Mmcité1 is a street furniture designer and supplier based in Bílovice, and Atelier SAD an architecture and design practice based in Prague. The studios previously collaborated with the Martin Papcún to design a sunken memorial in the shape of an upside down house in a Munich square.
The aesthetically pleasing shape and natural weather-resistance of pinecones makes them a popular source of inspiration for architects and designers working on out-of-doors projects.
Architect Claudio Beltrame built a treehouse in the shape of a pinecone in the Italian Alps, suspended 10 metres off the ground and accessible via a bridge.
For a woodland trail centre in Sweden, local architecture firm Tengbom covered the structure in pinecone scale-style shingles. Inflatable pinecone-topped guesthouses were a central part of 3Gatti Architecture Studio's unrealised vision for an eco-resort in a Latvian forest.