Cotton tents use evaporating water to drop temperatures five degrees
Seville's annual spring fair transforms into a pop-up city where centuries-old engineering tricks keep revelers cool in the blistering Spanish heat without a single air conditioner.
During the Feria de Abril, over 1,000 striped tents known as casetas create a temporary metropolis built on high-tension physics. The structures use heavy cotton canvas pulled so tight it can withstand 100-kilometer-per-hour wind gusts, yet the fabric's true genius is its breathability. By wicking moisture at a rate of 20 grams per square meter every hour, the cotton allows water to evaporate through the fibers, naturally pulling heat away from the interior.
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