Fusing art, architecture, and renewable energy, California-based Michael Jantzen‘s Wind Shaped Pavilion is literally head-turning. The pavilion is a proposal for a large fabric structure that rotates in segments around a central support frame, generating enough electricity as it moves to light the pavilion at night. Just think of the opportunities available in building the pavilion large enough that every level becomes an apartment or a commercial space, and the view from inside changes at the whims of the weather!
+ Michael Jantzen
Thanks for the tip, Andrew.





























When can I move in?
Okay, I love this. When can I move in?
does anybody make SOME calculations?
[...] spotted (Dubai Tower Clocks the Sun), and not the first that generates power from the wind (Wind Shaped Kinetic Pavilion), it’s definitely the first to pack this type of power. Designer David Fisher claims his [...]
[...] work is an experienced architecture-critic, opinions vary widely. personally, i’ve seen other proposals like this one a much smaller scale and usually associated with sustainable design, typically the [...]
brilliant idea
It looks cool, great concept, but… they should probably ditch the turbine aspect, build it out of concrete, motorize the segments. Wouldn’t want the movement to be completely random and unpredictable. Not only disorienting, also potentially destructive to your china. And could you imagine eating breakfast on a windy day? Windmills have existed for a long time, but noone ever wanted to live in one of the blades. Build your windmill and solar units in the yard.
The_Reformer writes: “wouldn’t it be weird to wake up 360degrees different from where you went to bed?”
If you rotated 360 degrees during your nap, you’d wake up exactly in the same place.
pretty cool looking. but the electricity-generating is obviously just hip window-dressing. There’s no way this could count as an efficient way of generating power.
Dizzy doesn’t have to be an issue. A weather vane on the roof could be used to adjust a Constant Velocity Transmission. Hook the other side of the CVT to a generator. This could limit the rotational velocity of the sections and still get more power on windy days.
how would you get from floor to floor?
in response to The_Reformer, waking up 360 deg from where u went to sleep would mean your back in teh same spot, a circle = 360 degs, remember high school?
kudos for the originality and the venture of something new innovative and eye catching. the world is already in the future. we need to just make it more noticable. we are actually behind (in futuristic terms) of our capability since its a profit driven world rather then an efficient one. id like to see this design in every major city, but i cant help to notice only a blueprint. this is only the start. there is more behind this design and can be incorporated in many different things. dont stop progression. and once again. kudos
wouldn’t it be weird to wake up 360degrees different from where you went to bed?
[...] Una de arquitectura “moderna”: wind shaped pavilion. Original sin duda aunque tal y como dicen en los comentarios, presenta más de un problema. [...]
Futuristic lego, i like it.
Futuristic lego, love it!
and good quarters for astronauts in training.
Go for it! I would love to see it in action.
Seeing as they already have stacked tower apartments that can rotate 360 degrees, working out the electric, plumbing and other utilities shouldn’t be much of an issue. Although a wind turbine and roof top solar panels would probably produce MUCH more electricity than this…and all without the disorienting rotation. An example of good in theory…
Plumbing in the core? Electricity how exactly? Access & egress? It would work best on the moon. No wind. Hope its fireproof. What dreams may come…? Don’t quit your day job to build it.
This is absolutely brilliant despite it’s form and proportion.Interesting.
Pretty gnarly. A lot of posters seem pretty cranky lately.
A brilliant Concept.
If they could build a resedential building using this design, it would likely be in an urban area. The wind speed is much lower in urban areas, so how could it work?
That is great, until the first Hurricane, Tornado, or Microburst Thunderstorm. Interesting idea though. I think I would get a bit dizzy.