Architecture

Rooftop shelter provides a cubicle break with cityscape views

Rooftop shelter provides a cubicle break with cityscape views
The Monade Capsule is made from fiberglass, with a large glazed section
The Monade Capsule is made from fiberglass, with a large glazed section
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The Monade Capsule is made from fiberglass, with a large glazed section
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The Monade Capsule is made from fiberglass, with a large glazed section
The Monade Capsule would offer workers somewhere to enjoy some peace and quiet and take in the view
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The Monade Capsule would offer workers somewhere to enjoy some peace and quiet and take in the view
The Monade Capsule would hang off the edge of a building
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The Monade Capsule would hang off the edge of a building
The Monade Capsule is entered through a hatch opening
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The Monade Capsule is entered through a hatch opening
A prototype Monade Capsule has been built mostly from fiberglass with help from a Dutch swimming pool company
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A prototype Monade Capsule has been built mostly from fiberglass with help from a Dutch swimming pool company
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Designer Alice Bleton studied living spaces intended for keeping humans alive in extreme conditions, like mountain huts, submarines, and underground bunkers, when creating the Monade Capsule. The novel shelter would be installed on the edge of a building's roof to let office workers escape from their cubicles and enjoy some peace and quiet while taking in the view.

The Monade Capsule takes its name from a philosophical term meaning the smallest unit, and would be situated rather precariously on the edge of a building's roof. Visitors would enter through a hatch and climb a few steps down to the bottom where there's a place to sit.

A large glazed section ensures a view of the cityscape and the shelter's translucent body should enable plenty of diffused sunlight. That's pretty much it as far as features go and it's very basic inside, with no amenities.

A prototype unit has been built mostly from fiberglass with help from a Dutch swimming pool company, which used four steel molds to create a total of 21 pieces. We've no word on how the shelter would be affixed to the building (very securely, one hopes).

A prototype Monade Capsule has been built mostly from fiberglass with help from a Dutch swimming pool company
A prototype Monade Capsule has been built mostly from fiberglass with help from a Dutch swimming pool company

"Spread over the city, the capsules can create a network of unique views – a new way to perceive and embrace our environment," says the designer. "The Monade Capsules are designed for office workers: they provide them with a place to isolate themselves, take distance from the office and re-engage with the environment."

The Monade Capsule was recently displayed at Dutch Design Week and we could see it possibly appealing to people with a head for heights, or those really desperate to escape spreadsheet calculations. However, balancing perilously on a roof edge does throw up some obvious health and safety concerns, so perhaps this one's best considered food for thought.

Source: Alice Bleton

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1 comment
Bob Flint
Oh sure that's what everyone wants to do, climb over the edge of a building and sit in a rickety translucent hot bubble as the fiberglass off-gasses while you ponder...