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The Rhythm Foundation exists to bring international music to the U.S. It focuses on music from cultures that connect to South Florida including Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe.
In 2015, the Miami, Fla.-based nonprofit was awarded management of the North Beach Bandshell, an open-air amphitheater in Miami Beach’s North Beach Historic District that’s been the community’s center of entertainment and culture for decades. Restoration projects beginning in 2011 brought the space back to its original glory.
One recent addition is a solar-powered architectural canopy that provides protection from rain and the hot Miami sun. The Rhythm Foundation approached Pvilion, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based provider of solar-powered fabric canopies, to design the covering.
Working with architect Ira Giller, president of Giller & Giller Inc. and son of Norman Giller, who built the bandshell in 1961, Pvilion honored the senior Giller’s vision. The rounded design was inspired by the circular forms of Giller’s original amphitheater.
With the efficient structure of a bicycle wheel turned on its side, the canopy spans 70 feet on a single column over the bandshell’s original terrazzo dance floor. It has an enhanced drainage system to mitigate water and features decorative energy-efficient solar-powered lights around the perimeter.
The canopy’s durable fabric can withstand most Florida wind thresholds and it can be retracted in the event of a hurricane. For information, visit www.pvilion.com.