Henning Larsen designed a shelter made up of 1.2 x 1.2 m panels. Each panel provides an innovative cooling and heating system that uses natural means, such as solar energy. It does not require water to operate and does not generate condensation. The latter is due to a transparent infrared membrane.
Cold water circulates through microtubes, absorbing all body heat. Natural ventilation creates a cooling effect. They were designed to function even in hot, humid climates such as New York summers. The prototype is made from recycled cedar wood, called Carbon Smart Wood, chosen for its ease of disassembly.
KlimaKover by Henning Larsen. Photography by Chris Perez.
Description of project by Henning Larsen
Cooling cities without air conditioning: introducing KlimaKover, a low-energy, modular system that uses 10x less power than conventional AC to cool public spaces.
2025 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, with extreme heat increasingly threatening urban populations. KlimaKover, developed by Henning Larsen in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, offers a low-energy, scalable solution. The shelter uses radiant cooling technology to reduce heat stress exposure while using 10 times less energy than conventional air conditioning.
Prototype and public access
The first KlimaKover shelter is open to the public on Governors Island in New York through November 2025. Built from modular panels, the system can be scaled to suit a variety of urban settings.
"The Governors Island pavilion is just a first step." "We can imagine KlimaKover shading schoolyards, bus stops, street vendors, or construction sites, showing how low-energy cooling can scale across cities."
Jakob Strømann-Andersen, Henning Larsen’s Director of Innovation and Sustainability.
Urban heat: risks and costs
Heatwaves are no longer rare. Traditional air-conditioning is expensive, energy-intensive, and largely unavailable in public spaces. Globally, AC accounts for 9% of total electricity use and emits approximately 1 billion tons of CO₂ annually. Urban heat-related mortality carries annual costs of $200–314 per adult, comparable to the economic impact of air pollution. Millions of workers worldwide, particularly in construction and agriculture, are exposed to dangerous heat stress.
Modular, low-energy cooling
KlimaKover is a modular system that can be mass-produced for approximately $75 per square foot. Constructed from 4’x4’ panels, it delivers radiant cooling and heating without condensation, can operate entirely on solar power, and requires no external water.
How it works
The system circulates chilled water through microtubes in transparent radiant panels, drawing heat directly from the body. Fabric shading reduces heat exposure while maintaining open-air conditions – allowing natural breezes to enhance the cooling effect. The radiant panels can operate in hot and humid conditions, like New York City summers, due to an infrared transparent membrane that protects them from condensation. The pavilion is self-sufficient and low impact, requiring no additional energy infrastructure.
"Research from our partners at the University of Pennsylvania shows that the panels start to cool your body within 5-7 minutes, when the effect becomes apparent, and by 20 minutes the cooling sensation is pronounced."
Kritika Kharbanda, Head of Sustainability, Henning Larsen.
The prototype uses a silky cedar wood product, upcycled from waste streams, called Carbon Smart Wood, selected for ease of disassembly.
