KlimaKover Prototype Shelter Opens in New York, Showcasing Low-Energy Cooling for Cities

The first KlimaKover prototype shelter is now open to the public on Governors Island in New York, where it will remain through November 2025. Developed by Henning Larsen with the University of Pennsylvania and AIL Research, the low-energy modular system cools public spaces using 10 times less power than conventional air conditioning, offering a scalable solution to reduce heat stress as 2025 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record.

Built from modular panels, the first KlimaKover shelter demonstrates how the system can be adapted to a variety of urban settings. “The Governors Island pavilion is just a first step,” says Jakob Strømann-Andersen, Henning Larsen’s Director of Innovation and Sustainability. “We can imagine KlimaKover shading schoolyards, bus stops, street vendors or construction sites, showing how low-energy cooling can scale across cities.”

Heatwaves are increasingly common, with traditional air conditioning remaining costly, energy-intensive and largely unavailable in public spaces. Globally, AC accounts for nearly 10 per cent of total electricity use and emits around 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually. Urban heat-related mortality carries annual costs of $200–300 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. “KlimaKover will allow visitors arriving from New York City and the world to experience outdoor cooling,” says Dorit Aviv, Architect and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Weitzman School of Design and Director of the Thermal Architecture Lab. “This is an important demonstration, paving the way to the widescale adoption of low-energy cooling.”

Constructed from 4×4 foot panels and costing around $75 per square foot to mass-produce, KlimaKover delivers radiant cooling and heating without condensation, operates entirely on solar power and requires no external water. 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 and allowing natural breezes. The radiant panels can operate in hot and humid climates, protected from condensation by an infrared transparent membrane. “Research from our partners at the University of Pennsylvania shows that the panels start to cool your body within five to seven minutes, when the effect becomes apparent, and by 20 minutes the cooling sensation is pronounced,” says Kritika Kharbanda, Head of Sustainability at Henning Larsen.

The prototype also uses Carbon Smart Wood, a silky cedar product upcycled from waste streams and selected for ease of disassembly. It will remain on Governors Island through November 2025, with an event during Climate Week on 21 September. In 2026, the installation will travel across New York City with local partners to test performance in different urban contexts.

Led by Henning Larsen, the project was developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Thermal Architecture Lab, with funding from the Ramboll Foundation. Additional contributions came from AIL Research, Fast+Epp, SKANSKA, SITU, Trust for Governors Island, Cambium, Mecho, Springs Window Fashions, Ontility (a brand of TERREPOWER), KM Associates of New York Inc., and Tectonic Engineering.

More information: henninglarsen.com/news/cooling-cities-without-air-conditioning