Prototype Of New State-Of-The-Art Scaffolding Unveiled In New York

Mayor Bloomberg, Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri and designers Andrés Cortés, Sarrah Khan and Young-Hwan Choi unveiled the prototype of an elegant new option for temporary sidewalk protection in New York. The ‘Urban Umbrella’ was the winner of the urbanSHED International Design Competition, held to select a new design for sidewalk sheds (temporary scaffolding structures built to protect pedestrians during construction), which hadn’t been updated in more than 60 years in New York City. Robert LiMandri said:

The Urban Umbrella is a perfect combination of design elegance and construction safety that will complement our City’s sidewalks and businesses rather than hide them…The sidewalk shed is critical to ensuring public safety in such a dense, urban environment like New York, but for too many years, it has become an eyesore for New Yorkers. The Urban Umbrella is the solution to that problem.

The ‘Urban Umbrella’ is mostly comprised of recycled steel, translucent plastic panels and LED lighting, bringing more air and natural light to the sidewalk and increasing building visibility to help businesses continue to attract customers. The design limits obstructions to allow more pedestrian traffic and increases visibility at night with its strategic lighting. The design is also safer than the current model because it is more resistant to falling debris, vehicle accidents and strong winds.

NYC Gov