Since early June, not one, but five temporary pavilions, have been gracing London’s Kensington Gardens, courtesy of the Serpentine Galleries. The annual Serpentine pavilion – the summer architectural celebration created this year by the expert hand of BIG's Bjarke Ingels – was, for the very first time, accompanied by four summer houses. The four smaller structures dot the park’s green lawns, offering visitors even further space for architectural fun and rest. And now they can now be yours.
London based agents The Modern House, headed by Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill and specialising in design-led properties in the UK and abroad, have just announced their partnership with the Serpentine Galleries to bring the summer houses to market. Designed by four international practices that have never built in London before, they take a varied approach.
You can take your pick. German practice Barkow Leibinger worked with curved plywood for theirs, inspired by a rotating William Kent-designed pavilion; London-based Asif Khan composed a polished metal structure that creates an ‘intimate experience’ for the visitor; Yona Friedman’s ethereal metal structure builds upon his project La Ville Spatiale, which begun in the late 1950s; while Kunlé Adeyemi created his own, inverse abstract version of the historic Queen Caroline’s Temple, working with the building’s neo-classical plan, proportions and form.
Offering the chance to indulge your inner collector, and ranging from £95,000 to £125,000 (plus VAT), the four summer houses will be up for grabs once the Serpentine Galleries' installation is deconstructed in early October.
The German practice worked with curved plywood, inspired by a rotating William Kent-designed pavilion
London-based Asif Khan created a polished metal structure, aiming for an ‘intimate experience’ for the visitor
Kunlé Adeyemi drew inspiration from the historic Queen Caroline’s Temple, and worked with its neo-classical plan, proportions and form for his summer house
Yona Friedman’s ethereal metal structure builds upon the Hugnarian-born architect's project La Ville Spatiale, which begun in the late 1950s
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Modern House website or the Serpentine Galleries website
Photography: Iwan Baan
-
A portrait of the artist: Sotheby’s puts Grayson Perry in the spotlightFor more than a decade, photographer Richard Ansett has made Grayson Perry his must. Now Sotheby’s is staging a selling exhibition of their work
-
This nostalgic exhibition dives into a century of British surfingCornwall's National Maritime Museum charts the history of waveriding on England's south coast
-
Waiheke Island is a must-visit for oenophiles and aesthetes alikeDiscover what to do during this New Zealand destination's annual Walking Festival and beyond
-
A portrait of the artist: Sotheby’s puts Grayson Perry in the spotlightFor more than a decade, photographer Richard Ansett has made Grayson Perry his must. Now Sotheby’s is staging a selling exhibition of their work
-
From counter-culture to Northern Soul, these photos chart an intimate history of working-class Britain‘After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024’ is at Edinburgh gallery Stills
-
Celia Paul's colony of ghostly apparitions haunts Victoria MiroEerie and elegiac new London exhibition ‘Celia Paul: Colony of Ghosts’ is on show at Victoria Miro until 17 April
-
Teresa Pągowska's dreamy interpretations of the female form are in London for the first time‘Shadow Self’ in Thaddaeus Ropac’s 18th-century townhouse gallery in London, presents the first UK solo exhibition of Pągowska’s work
-
Sylvie Fleury's work in dialogue with Matisse makes for a provocative exploration of the female form'Drawing on Matisse, An Exhibition by Sylvie Fleury’ is on show until 2 May at Luxembourg + Co
-
What to see at BFI Flare film festival, 'a rich tapestry of queer experience'As one of the only film festivals to explicitly profile LGBTQI+ cinema, BFI Flare Film Festival remains a unique and beloved event. Here's what to see as it makes its return to London from 19 - 30 March
-
The enduring appeal of Transport for London’s seat designsFrom artist Rita Keegan’s new collage to fashion designer Adam Jones’ Overground suit, TfL moquettes continue to enjoy a cult status
-
‘There's a lot to fear and a lot to love in this world’: Penny Goring unveils new work in LondonA new collection of large-scale collages takes centre stage at 'Penny Goring: Cold Hunt Corsage' at Arcadia Missa, London
