Outdoor Pavilion Ideas

Whether your facility is in need of a smaller picnic pavilion for intimate gatherings, a lakeside shelter ideal for picture taking, or a large outdoor pavilion, Superior Shelter has the solution. Since our early days in Michigan back in 1963 as Litchfield Industries, we’ve been manufacturing steel outdoor pavilions, outdoor pergolas, and trellises. Our pavilions have been installed in parks all across the country.

While the shapes, sizes, and general designs have developed over the decades, our commitment to a quality product remains exactly as it was the day we started. Browse the popular types of outdoor structures below and visit each pavilion type to see more of what we have to offer.

Pavilion Shapes & Sizes

• Square – Pavilions that are perfectly square are popular in parks and recreation settings. Square shelters can be used as a picnic park pavilion, dog park shelter, and beyond. Popular sizes include 16’ x 16’, 20’ x 20’, 24’ x 24’, 28’ x 28’, and 30’ x 30’.
• Rectangle – These pavilions are often seen at larger venues, or simply where the space to be covered was better served by a rectangular shape. Rectangle shade shelters often have two different roof styles: hip and gable. A hip roof is more traditional, flat style roof and a gable roof is an A-frame style roof. Common sizes include 16’ x 24’, 20’ x 24’, 16’ x 44’, 20’ x 44’, 24’ x 44’, 30’ x 40’, and 30’ x 44’.
• Octagon – These outdoor pavilions are a common solution for riverside, lakeside, and other waterway gathering areas. You will often see them at theme parks, not only for picnic areas but for carousel rides, and landscape settings that feature these waterscapes. Common sizes include 16’, 20’, 24’, 28’, and 32’.
• Hexagon – This style of pavilion is often used in the place of a formal outdoor gazebo, and is sometimes placed near lakes and ponds the same as the octagon shaped shelter. Common sizes include 9’, 16’, 18’, 20’, 24’, 28’, 30’, and 32’.

Outdoor pavilions have evolved from wooden beam structures to the steel frame designs we often see in public places today. While both types of shelters are still ordered and common in use, the steel pavilion is often more preferred by municipal customers due to its’ higher level of durability. Superior Shelter adds a rich, zinc-based primer before we add our powder-coating finish to ensure our steel structures offer all-weather protection for many years to come.

Pavilion Styles

Outdoor shelters come in several styles. The most common are the Gable End and the Hip End, which refer to the design of the roof. Pavilions with a gable roof are open at two sides and have an A-frame, whereas hip end shelters are closed on all four sides of the roof.

Also, some pavilion designs have a single-tier roof while others have a double-tier roof for aesthetic reasons. Additional accessories can be added to make the shelter more appealing to landscape settings.

Outdoor Structure Accessories

From cupolas and weathervanes to ornamental bracing, we offer a variety of accessories and other options to consider adding to your pavilion.

• Cupolas
• Ornamental lattice and handrails
• Square or round column designs
• Duo-top roofing systems
• Electrical access holes and cutouts
• Internal or external anchor bolts
• Sealed engineering