The Serpentine Gallery's annual Pavilion is a staple of the capital's summer architecture calendar and it rarely disappoints. Combining space for events, a shelter from the summer sun, an oasis of relaxation and thought-provoking design, it has over the years taken the shape of a helium balloon, a super-bright red steel structure and a mysterious hidden garden. It is also always designed by an exceptional contemporary architect, one that has yet to complete their first built work in London, making this temporary structure a much-anticipated architectural happening.
In many respects this year's commission is special. To start with, the people behind it have actually already had a strong presence in London; albeit not as a team. Swiss practice Herzog & de Meuron are the architects of much-celebrated projects such as the Tate Modern conversion (and now, its addition), while their partner, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, saw his hotly-discussed Sunflower Seeds show open at the Tate's Turbine Hall in 2010.
Herzog & de Meuron and Weiwei have worked together to great acclaim before on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games but this is their first collaborative UK venture. And it seems fitting that their new project should open just in time for the 2012 Games in London.
'Every year, architects impatiently and jealously wait for the announcement of the Pavilion,' said Jacques Herzog at the opening. 'Working with Ai Weiwei again makes it even more intriguing'. Meanwhile, Weiwei made his presence felt at the launch with a video statement. 'As an artist, I am always very interested to put art, design, architecture and social change together to make new possibilities,' he said.
Given the team's combined reputation for innovation and creativity, it is no surprise that they flipped the pavilion concept on its head. Instead of creating a fully-fledged new structure, the team's design puts the focus on the previous pavilions, in a near-archaeological fashion.
In a quest to 'uncover' the former pavilions' foundations, the ground was dug up to form a geography of patterns, low walls and steps that the visitors can explore - and sit on. The whole surface is covered in cork, enhancing the space's acoustics, as well as giving a tactile quality (and distinct aroma) to the interior. Above the excavation are 12 columns (one representing each pavilion, including the 2012 one) that support a large floating platform roof. It hovers 1.4m above ground and holds a shallow pool of rainwater.
Taking the visitor below ground level and within the intriguingly sculptural landscape of the excavation, Herzog & de Meuron and Weiwei's design acts as an homage to the Serpentine's whole Pavilion program, inviting the crowds to discover the hidden footprints of the new structure's predecessors.
Beneath this, the team's design takes on a near-archeological fashion. In their quest to 'uncover' the former pavilion's foundations, the ground was dug up to form a geography of patterns, low walls and steps that visitors can explore...
... and sit on. The whole surface is covered in cork, enhancing the space's acoustics, as well as giving a tactile quality (and distinct aroma) to the interior
Above the excavation are 12 columns (one representing each pavilion, including the 2012 one) that support the platform roof
Taking the visitor below ground level and within the intriguingly sculptural landscape of the excavation, Herzog & de Meuron and Weiwei's design acts as an homage to the Serpentine's whole Pavilion program
A sketch of the structure by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei
A sketch of the structure by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei
A sketch of the structure by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei
ADDRESS
Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens
London W2 3XA
-
Formafantasma’s biodiversity-boosting installation in a Perrier Jouët vineyard is cross-pollination at its bestFormafantasma and Perrier Jouët unveil the first project in their ‘Cohabitare’ initiative, ‘not only a work of art but also a contribution to the ecosystem’
-
Gingerbread City: architects sculpt London out of the season's favourite treatUntil December 29 in Chelsea, see London brought to life in a seasonal-appropriate medium by leading architects and designers
-
New Revox B77 MK III reel-to-reel tape recorder, and more cassette tape-based trickeryThe new Revox B77 MK III might be the ultimate analogue flex. In response, we’ve explored the outer reaches of cassette tape design
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary partyFrom 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
-
Looking at people looking at art: inside the mind of a gallery attendantVisitor experience workers at London’s Tate Modern, Serpentine, Barbican and V&A share what it’s like to watch people looking at art during a time of changing attention spans and rising vandalism
-
Gerhard Richter unveils new sculpture at Serpentine SouthGerhard Richter revisits themes of pattern and repetition in ‘Strip-Tower’ at London’s Serpentine South
-
Ai vs AI: Ai Weiwei asks the big questions nightly in central LondonAi Weiwei and Circa consider the role of the question in Piccadilly Circus, London
-
Frieze London 2023: what to see and doEverything you want to see at Frieze London 2023 and around the city in our frequently updated guide
-
Tomás Saraceno’s spider-led show at Serpentine has legs, and lots of them‘Web(s) of Life’, the first major UK show by Tomás Saraceno, is a living, collaborative and multi-species call to climate action involving everything from dog-friendly sculptures to ‘spider diviners’ – but no phones allowed
-
Steve McQueen to screen his harrowing film 'Grenfell' at London’s SerpentineAcclaimed film director and artist Steve McQueen will screen his film, Grenfell, at London’s Serpentine South gallery (7 April-10 May 2023), six years after the Grenfell Tower block blaze killed 72
-
Ai Weiwei's largest-ever Lego artwork revealed at London’s Design MuseumAt London’s Design Museum, Ai Weiwei has unveiled Water Lilies #1, a new Lego recreation of Claude Monet’s iconic painting. We explore the vast new work ahead of the Chinese artist’s major show at the museum until 30 July
