A miniature rainforest would probably be one of the last things one would expect to see in the heart of central London, but that is exactly what visitors will encounter when walking past Bedford Square for the next two months.
Commissioned by the Architectural Association School of Architecture and designed by Chile-based Gun Architects, the Rainforest pavilion is one of the very first events of the month-long London Festival of Architecture (which officially runs from the 1 until 30 June) and was inaugurated this weekend, marking an unofficial, early start to the capital's architectural festivities.
Developed by the Chilean-German architecture firm, helmed by founders Jorge Godoy and Lene Nettelbeck, the new pavilion is based on the pair's 2011 project in Santiago, entitled Water Cathedral (part of the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program). Maintaining the project's basic elements - the stalactite formation, the slow water trickling and its open-air, public nature - the team revisited the original design, reworking it for the needs of Bedford Square. 'We wanted to see how the "stalactites" can be translated into a different typology, here in London,' says Godoy, who doesn't rule out resuming the theme for different projects in the future.
The public structure, sitting directly across from the school's main entrance, is designed to recreate an abstract rainforest environment. The pavilion's five-metre high tree-like structures hold groups of fabric stalactites, which gently drip water to the rocky ground, plant and pond landscaping below. Visitors are invited to sit underneath the dripping canopy and experience the serene microclimate of sounds, smells and touch.
An exhibition in the main AA gallery complements the installation, exploring further the architects' fascination with natural dynamics and water circulation and accumulation, while explaining their latest project's structural and conceptual evolution.
The new pavilion is based on Gun Architects' 2011 project in Santiago, entitled Water Cathedral. Maintaining the project's basic elements - the stalactite formation, the slow water trickling and its open-air, public nature - the team revisited the original design, reworking it for the needs of Bedford Square
The pavilion's five-metre high tree-like structures hold groups of fabric stalactites…
…which gently drip water to the rocky ground, plant and pond landscaping below
Visitors are invited to sit underneath the dripping canopy and experience the serene microclimate of sounds, smells and touch
ADDRESS
AA Gallery
36 Bedford Square
London WC1B 3ES
-
Rachel Whiteread creates silver collection for Puiforcat inspired by corrugated cardboardThe Turner Prize-winning artist reinterprets imperfection in a new silverware collection with French maison Puiforcat
-
Meet Malak Mattar, the Palestinian artist behind the 'Together for Palestine' concert at London's Wembley ArenaThe London-based artist curates a landmark concert of music and art in support of Gaza, alongside Brian Eno, James Blake, Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and more
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasureThe Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways
-
In memoriam: Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, 1939-2025Pioneering British architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw has died at the age of 85; we honour the creative who marked 20th-century architecture like few others
-
The new 2025 London Open House Festival tours to book2025 London Open House launches this weekend, running 13-21 September; here, we celebrate the newcomers in the residential realm, flagging the exciting additions to the festival's growing home tour programme
-
The wait is over – the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 shortlist is hereThe restored home of Big Ben, creative housing for different needs, and a centre for medical innovation – the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 shortlist has just been announced, and its six entries are as diverse as they can be
-
Slides, clouds and a box of presents: it’s the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s quirky new pavilionAt the Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London, ArtPlay Pavilion by Carmody Groarke and a rich Sculpture Garden open, fusing culture and fun for young audiences
-
Bay House brings restrained modern forms and low-energy design to the Devon coastA house with heart, McLean Quinlan’s Bay House is a sizeable seaside property that works with the landscape to mitigate impact and maximise views of the sea
-
A whopping 92% of this slick London office fit-out came from reused materialsCould PLP Architecture's new workspace provide a new model for circularity?
-
Meet the landscape studio reviving the eco-brutalist Barbican ConservatoryLondon-based Harris Bugg Studio is working on refreshing the Barbican Conservatory as part of the brutalist icon's ongoing renewal; we meet the landscape designers to find out more
-
A refreshed Victorian home in London is soft, elegant and primed for hostingSobremesa house by architects Studio McW shows off its renovation and extension, designed for entertaining
