Eye-Catching Charging Pavilion for Volvo Hybrid

I’ve never heard anybody compliment anyone on how gorgeous their solar panels are, but that could change thanks to the Pure Tension Pavilion, a portable solar pavilion designed by Synthesis Design + Architecture (SDA) that can charge the battery in the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid diesel vehicle.

The visually striking trade show pavilion emerged from the “Switch to Pure Volvo” competition launched by Volvo Car Italia, calling for the design of temporary pavilions to showcase the new vehicle.

The Pure Tension is constructed from a high density polyethylene mesh skin with photovoltaic panels stretched over carbon fiber framework. It can charge the vehicle and also fold down compactly for storage in the trunk of the car. According to an SDA statement quoted on Treehugger.com:

The issue of sustainability is addressed in the form of a power strategy which uses fabric embedded Photovoltaic panels and light collected from the sun or indoor artificial lighting to power the pavilion and charge the V60 model on show. The car will ‘plug’ directly into the pavilion’s skin, charging its battery with the energy collected over the day. The ‘Switch to Pure Volvo’ pavilion becomes a symbol of the V60’s attitude to efficient energy consumption and a showcase of the Hybrid V60’s characteristics.

The Pure Tension Pavilion will be displayed in Rome this September.

Source: Synthesis Design + Architecture