Solar-harvesting Ecacia by Samuel Wilkinson mimics trees of African savannahs

London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson has created a prototype of a tree-like structure called Ecacia that harvests solar energy while providing a public place to shelter during very hot weather.
Wilkinson's studio based the design for Ecacia on a species of acacia tree that grows on the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa and is characterised by its large, umbrella canopy that allows it to capture large amounts of sunlight.
The roof of the structure is embedded with more than 700 sola