Winner of the 2025 Good Design Award, PandanusR is a ground-breaking permanent shade solution for Australian parks and public spaces. Limitless in size and configuration, it transforms urban green spaces into inclusive, sustainable community hubs.
“It has a sustainable and smart structure, it also looks great, providing what is needed (shade) and also pleasure for the visitors looking at it...Great work.”
- Awards Jury, Good Design Australia
Using low-carbon materials at an affordable price, it delivers exceptional aesthetics and accessibility for communities where high-end park shelters and shade solutions are often out of reach.
We set out to create a scalable shade structure that could adapt to different spaces and budgets - aimed to address the growing gap between community needs and what’s delivered in park spaces.
An overwhelming majority of park users - over 80% - say outdoor shade is essential. Yet, only 19% of playgrounds have built shade, with just 3% being permanent structures.
Read more from the Cancer Institute NSW's research report here .
Pandanus was created as a direct response to this. It’s not just a product - it’s a public health and equity tool. Crafted from 100% recyclable materials and designed for long-term use, it supports the circular economy while helping future generations access green spaces.
Its cost-effectiveness makes shade accessible for lower-income communities, addressing the accessibility gap in cities where nearly 1.3 million Australians lack easy access to public parks.
As a scalable and adaptable system, Pandanus allows us to support healthier, more inclusive public spaces - bringing shade and comfort to Australia's most vulnerable, while promoting environmental sustainability.
Building on our commitment to create functional, lasting shade that meets community needs, Pandanus also embraces a deeper role: to celebrate local identity and culture through design.
To achieve this, Pandanus offers semi-customisation - the ability to laser-cut
This is powerfully demonstrated in the installation of Pandanus as a playground shade structure in Moore Park Beach community in Queensland. The turtle motifs honour the area's unique marine wildlife and nearby Mon Repos Turtle Centre nesting site - home to the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles in the South Pacific region.
What could have been just a shelter instead becomes a landmark reflecting the community's identity.
See more photos from the Moore Park Beach project here.
By overcoming the typical barriers of complexity and high cost in permanent installations, Pandanus opens new possibilities for commerical outdoor shelters worldwide. It establishes a fresh industry standard, making quality outdoor shade solutions accessible to communities that previously lacked options.
Pandanus challenges traditional shade structures by introducing a minimalist, modular system using just three core components. It proves that high-end aesthetics, structural integrity, and affordability can exist together.
Using familiar materials like aluminium and stainless steel, Pandanus combines refinement with innovation. Its fully interlocking canopy structure is a breakthrough in permanent shade design. Unlike bespoke fabrication or shade sails - which tend to be expensive, inconsistent, or less durable - Pandanus enables faster installation, superior structural consistency, and lower maintenance over time.
A slight roof pitch enhances water runoff and adds visual appeal from every angle. These aren’t minor details; they represent a meaningful shift in what we expect from shade structures.
The result is a globally replicable, cost-effective system that offers greater design flexibility and improves access to shaded, inclusive urban green spaces - especially in underserved and climate-vulnerable communities.
Developed over two years of engineering by GX Outdoors and guided by the creative vision of RPS Architects, this collaboration merges advanced manufacturing with visionary design, creating a shade solution that is cost-effective, scalable, and built for real-world use.
Fast, Simple Assembly
Just three core components make installation quick and straightforward - cutting down time, tools, and labour on-site.
Affordable by Design
Fewer parts and lean manufacturing ensures affordability without sacrificing quality.
Low Maintenance
Fewer moving parts reduce wear and tear, ensuring long-term reliability with minimal upkeep.
Pandanus represents a transformative solution in the street and park furniture space, with significant positive impacts for park users, landscape architects, and the environment.
In Australia, where 1 in 3 people avoid public spaces due to a lack of shade, and with 1.2 million new homes planned by 2029, the demand for accessible outdoor infrastructure is rising. Pandanus meets this need by offering a customisable, cost-effective, and scalable shade system that brings aesthetic refinement and durability to urban green spaces previously excluded from such solutions due to budget or complexity constraints.
Environmentally, Pandanus actively reduces its carbon footprint by using 100% recyclable aluminium and minimising fabrication waste through its modular design. It avoids toxic materials with non-toxic, low-VOC powder coating and encourages sustainable behaviour by showing that high-quality design can be both affordable and environmentally responsible.
Download product drawings and 3D CAD model instantly by clicking below.