An innovative proposal for a deployable shading system

Shading systems have been used for various applications like open-air exhibition spaces and parking lots for many years. However, the application of deployable and portable shading systems in architecture has recently been increased due to the high demands for multi-functional and temporary architectural spaces. Nowadays, the necessities such as ease of erection, portability and transformability, has resulted in developing innovative design concepts and strategies for deployable, multi-useable shading systems. In this paper, a new shading system incorporating pantographic and telescopic systems is proposed. Pantographic structures due to their high degree of compactness, stability in fully open configuration and appropriate extension required in deployable shading systems are used in this proposal. Telescopic structures are expandable systems consisting of elements that slide one inside another and their combination with pantographic systems leads to an improvement of the compactness in the proposed structure. These telescopic elements with rigid panels are connected to a pantographic structure keeping the whole structure stable when it is fully deployed. The telescopic system also controls the deployment process and stabilizes the fully erected con-figuration. This structure benefits from the deployment of both the structure and covering panels simultaneously in a controlled manner and in a very short period of time. Furthermore, by the arrangement of several individual modules in a rectangular plan configuration, it is possible to create a fully-covered transformable structure employed for various building including shelters and temporary exhibition centers, etc.