Maidan Tent aims to improve life in refugee camps with pop-up public space

A Milan-based design studio created a portable pop-up building that aims to improve the lives of refugees. Named the Maidan Tent, the multifunctional 200-square-meter structure can host up to 100 people and is designed for easy installation and transportation to allow for deployment in almost any refugee camp.

The design team also teamed up with Austrian nonprofit Echo100Plus to launch a crowdfunding campaign that hopes to donate the first-ever Maidan Tent to the Ritsona refugee camp in Greece.Most refugee camps are only designed to meet the basic necessities of survival, with public gathering spaces often overlooked. The Maidan Tent design team wants to fill this gap with their design of a beautiful airy tent named after the Arabic word for a public square. The tent is made up of eight subdivided areas that provide a diversity of spaces, including outdoor shaded verandas, semi-private spaces, and a large open common space in the center. The large openings on all sides of the tent allow for natural ventilation.

The Maidan team writes: “The structure is designed with the following psychological aspects in mind: The round shape forms a center and is open to every side, inviting people from every direction. Subdivision into various zones make it possible to form various relation – ships and a sense of common ground. The multi-functional public space is flexible and can be quickly adapted to people’s needs. The Maidan tent is 4 meters high and has an area of 200 square meters that can accommodate more than a hundred people.”

The Maidan Tent is designed for all climate zones and weather types and the aluminum skeleton is covered with a strong Pe + Pes textile that is resistant to water, strong winds, and fire. You can help bring the first Maidan Tent to Ritsona refugee camp, home to 700 refugees, by submitting a pledge to their Indiegogo campaign here.