Heading to Electric Picnic This Year? You Need to See This

Usually the sleeping portion of a summer festival is WAY down the list of priorities, but a small number of revellers heading to Electric Picnic this year may just find themselves more inclined to lie in...

Eight custom-designed bespoke pods, designed by some of Ireland’s leading architects, have been commissioned for exhibition at Electric Picnic.

By day they are open to the public; by night they become luxury homes to a select number of ticket-holders in search of an immersive festival experience.

If you fancy staying smack-bang in the middle of all the action at Electric Picnic, and you want to book yourselves in for the full weekend to a place that mixes luxury and festival hedonism, how about sleeping in an architect-designed bedroom pavilion situated in the Trailer Park area?

For current ticket-holders, these luxury pods are now open for bookings exclusively on Airbnb. They come with all the trappings of a luxury stay at Ireland’s favourite festival, including special access wristbands taking you behind the scenes at Trailer Park and Salty Dog.

Each pod sleeps two people for the full weekend of Electric Picnic (Friday to Monday morning). They come equipped with a bed, bedding, fluffy pillows and a power source with access to water and toilets. An on-site host will take care of your needs to ensure your stay is stress-free.

As the festival gets underway each day, the architect pavilions (aka your bedrooms) are open to view by the public between 2pm and 7pm. Bookers can hang out and introduce their pods to passers-by or avail of a secure lock-up for their belongings. After 7pm, the area is closed to the public and is reintegrated backstage.

On arrival at Electric Picnic, a dedicated contact person will show bookers to their pods from their arrival gate and be on-call for the weekend to ensure a comfortable, stress-free experience.

Interested parties can check out each individual pod on Airbnb here

The full list of units: 

FKL Architects (Dublin) designed a unit consisting of three forms, an enclosure for a bed, a portal with a door and a frame for storage wrapped in a taut semi translucent skin. FKL is a multi award-winning architecture practice founded by Paul Kelly, Michelle Fagan and Gary Lysaght. FKL also represented Ireland at the 2006 Venice Biennale. www.fklarchitects.com

MEME Architecture (Carlow /London) This design is based on colour, simple forms and methods of construction. The aim of the design was to use locally sourced materials to create something fun and joyful. A simple cube with overlapping coloured translucent panels which pulse with the music at Electric Picnic through the use of sound responsive LED lights. MEME have received commendations in the Irish Architecture Awards 2010 and 2013 and the practice was included in the shortlist for Best Emerging Architecture Practice in 2013. www.meme.ie

PAC Studio (Dublin) (Graham Petrie & Peter Crowley) took an environmentally friendly approach to the brief creating an adaptive lightweight structure comprised of hinged bamboo poles held in compression through a series of ropes in tension, wrapped with a taut canvas skin. Light floods through the canvas creating a ghostly effect against the bamboo and rope structure. They have a strong environmental ethos and take a sustainable approach to design. Their projects have been included in Open House Dublin and at the Irish Architecture Awards. http://www.pacstudio.ie

Architectural Farm, Mobile Motel (Dublin) Architectural Farm’s design utilises found materials such as pallets and garden trellis to create a series of spaces for sleeping and socialising. The design draws on the idea of a festival atmosphere to create a space for stories and conviviality. Privacy and retreat is provided within a bespoke textile enclosure created in collaboration with Irish textile designer Naoimh Prim. Led by Kathryn Wilson and Shane Cotter, Architectural Farm is a young award winning practice. www.architecturalfarm.com

Ryan Kennihan Architects (Dublin) This ‘tented room’ draws inspiration from Ottoman campaign tents - its simple structure belies a tactile and luxurious inner space. Ryan Kennihan has drawn on contacts with makers and suppliers across Ireland to create this space. The timber structure was assembled by specialist timber joiners, O’Malley Timber in Loughrea and the luxurious red textile is an archive design woven by Mourne Textiles in Co Down. http://www.rwka.com

NOJI Architects  and Elizabeth Clyne (Sligo) Based on a fortified ‘Tower Room’ this design uses a perforated plywood arch to allow light to diffuse into the compact sleeping space. John Monahan from Noji and Elizabeth Clyne designed and pre-assembled the unit in Sligo and constructed their beautiful room on site in a day. NOJI Architects is an award winning practice based in Sligo and run by John Monahan. NOJI’s residential projects were Highly Commended in the Irish Architecture Awards 2014. www.noji.ie

Lucy Jones / Christophe Antipas (Dublin / Amsterdam) A wall defines a space that appears to be outside of the festival. Instead of just walking into a shelter, occupants step outside of the festival into a calm retreat. Lucy, Christophe and their young team have created a peaceful room within a room with a translucent roof and walls which allow just a glimpse of activity beyond. Lucy Jones is a design led, award winning practice based in Dublin and was shortlisted in the Best Emerging Practice of the Irish Architecture Awards 2015. www.lucyjones.ie

Ciara Murray Architects/Faolan Bashford (Dublin) A private reflective space created by the play of light in a simple geometrical enclosure. Ciara and Faolan have created a simple timber clad cube with high level light illuminating the bedroom space.  Architect Ciara Murray and designer Faolan Bashford are based in Dublin and collaborate on design projects. Their projects have been featured in Home magazine and other publications. www.ciaramurrayarchitects.com