Umbrellas at Meeting House Square in Dublin | MDT-tex

MDT designs, manufactures and supplies innovative, high-quality sun protection systems, membrane constructions, and textile outdoor architecture to customers worldwide. Four 21-meter-high umbrellas from MDT were used at Meeting House Square in Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin's Meeting House Square is a busy, bustling meeting place located in the historical district of Temple Bar. Events are regularly hosted here but, in the past, were sometimes canceled last minute due to unexpected bad weather. The Temple Bar Cultural Trust enlisted the help of MDT to install customized umbrellas over the square to prevent future event cancelations.

The MDF umbrellas provide almost 700 square meters of shelter and are 21 meters high. The umbrellas are slightly tilted into the center, causing each 11 x 14 membrane to overlap, preventing water from seeping between the umbrellas. By raising the canopy height to 21 m, MDT created an open-air feeling in a sheltered space. The umbrellas open and close within seven minutes to allow unobstructed views on nice days. When the umbrellas are closed they look like sculptural columns and are even illuminated in the evening—different colored lights can be selected to align with particular events.

The installation of the umbrellas required a crane to maneuver the structures around existing buildings, and took a total of one day to complete. The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies awarded the 2013 International Architecture Award to this project, designed by Dublin firm Sean Harrington Architects, and engineered and manufactured by MDT-tex.

View all available MDT products in the Architonic Catalog or go deeper through the manufacturer's website.