This is a landmark year for London’s annual Serpentine Pavilion, as 2015 fittingly marks the announcement of the 15th design for the popular architectural summer staple. This year’s colourful offering for Kensington Gardens’ Serpentine Gallery comes courtesy of Spanish architecture practice SelgasCano.
Drawing inspiration by the materials that would be suitable for a Royal Park in London, Madrid-born co-directors José Selgas and Lucía Cano sought to provide an experience for the public ’through simple elements: structure, light, transparency, shadows, lightness, form, sensitivity, change, surprise, colour and materials.’
An open space sits at the heart of the pavilion. Its polygonal, fluid form is fun and inviting. Made up of translucent multi coloured fabric membrane panels, the structure is double-skinned and will allow for many different entry points for maximum flexibility of use. Visitors will duck into the structure passing through ’secret corridors’ into the core of the pavilion. There, the skin’s stained glass effect will create a playful environment.
The Serpentine Gallery’s vibrant new pavilion will be the latest addition to a long line of exciting temporary structures by some of contemporary architecture’s best names – the list includes OMA, Herzog and de Meuron, Frank Gehry and last year’s architect, Chilean Smiljan Radic.
