John Wardle Architects and Finding Infinity are presenting their pilot project as part of A New Normal, 15 projects helping to accelerate Greater Melbourne’s transition from a consumer to a producer by 2030 with solar power on every second rooftop in Melbourne.

In Melbourne, there is a culture of converting unused rooftops to thriving venues. The vertical laneway of Curtin House famously culminates in a rooftop cinema. In other places, restaurants and bars pop up to occupy the city’s fifth elevation. With this in mind, a new solar architecture takes the form of a rooftop module that is made of simple components assembled into a tentlike form. It is both the infrastructure to carry photovoltaics and a new place for Melbournians to come together.

The pavilion is made up of 68x260W solar panels that will generate 56Kw/h every day of Melbourne Design Week. This totals 18,000Kw/h each year. Enough to power a New Normal Australian Home in 2030 for 2 years… or 450,000 cups of tea! The full solar potential of rooftops in Greater Melbourne could power around 76% of the city. The rooftop installation at A New Normal Melbourne Design Week City Hub features a Solar Pavilion by John Wardle Architects with artwork by Ash Keating Studio.

The event is part of A New Normal, a project led by Finding Infinity that challenges Melbourne to become an entirely self-sufficient city. This is explored through a series of installations and talks by Melbourne’s leading architects and designers in a former office building at 130 Little Collins Street. For more information please visit A New Normal’s website: www.normalise.it