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.
The 2015 Serpentine Pavilion's translucent material will make for a fun and exciting visitor experience following its opening in June
-
At this secret NYC hangout, the drinks are strong and the vibes are strongerFor People's bar, Workstead serves up a good time
-
‘Fall Guy’ director David Leitch takes us inside his breathtaking Los Angeles homeFor movie power couple David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, interior designer Vanessa Alexander crafts a home with the ultimate Hollywood ending
-
Real or imaginary? Step inside the alternate world of Jeff Wall's photographsJeff Wall's major show at MAAT in Portugal dives into four decades of the photographer's career
-
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt will be shown at Tate ModernThe 42-panel quilt, which commemorates those affected by HIV and AIDS, will be displayed in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in June 2025
-
Meet the Turner Prize 2025 shortlisted artistsNnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa are in the running for the Turner Prize 2025 – here they are with their work
-
‘Humour is foundational’: artist Ella Kruglyanskaya on painting as a ‘highly questionable’ pursuitElla Kruglyanskaya’s exhibition, ‘Shadows’ at Thomas Dane Gallery, is the first in a series of three this year, with openings in Basel and New York to follow
-
The art of the textile label: how British mill-made cloth sold itself to Indian buyersAn exhibition of Indo-British textile labels at the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru is a journey through colonial desire and the design of mass persuasion
-
Artist Qualeasha Wood explores the digital glitch to weave stories of the Black female experienceIn ‘Malware’, her new London exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, the American artist’s tapestries, tuftings and videos delve into the world of internet malfunction
-
Ed Atkins confronts death at Tate BritainIn his new London exhibition, the artist prods at the limits of existence through digital and physical works, including a film starring Toby Jones
-
Tom Wesselmann’s 'Up Close' and the anatomy of desireIn a new exhibition currently on show at Almine Rech in London, Tom Wesselmann challenges the limits of figurative painting
-
A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to the Tate Modern next yearTate’s 2026 programme includes 'Frida: The Making of an Icon', which will trace the professional and personal life of countercultural figurehead Frida Kahlo
