Shade isn't hard to find in Jerusalem's Vallero Square, thanks to these giant urban flowers designed by HQ Architects that bloom in the presence of pedestrians. "Warde," as the installation is called, is a set of four inflatable flowers at the entrance of the city's market square and adjacent tram station that "open up" whenever pedestrians walk by or the tram is approaching.
"The existing square is in poor condition," says HQ. "Divided by the tram line into two urban spaces, with no supported program around them, and filled with inevitable urban facilities such as waste composter and electricity sub-station, which a patchwork of ongoing landscape attempts to fix the non-coherent environment couldn’t save. Warde's attempt was not to fight the chaos, but instead to try and 'tighten up urban space,' to spread around such fantastic elements that would overcome the reality of the square on one-hand, and will be able to stand for themselves in the non-realistic situation of Jerusalem on the other.
"If a by-passer is looking for a moment of shade during the hot summer days, the flower will inflate and stay open until the person leaves. When the tram is approaching the station - all four flowers will inflate at once and signal the shoppers to hurry if they want to catch the tram. The Urban space suddenly reacts to the people using it."
