Serpentine Pavilion

After much anticipation, this summer’s new temporary pavilion by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry is now open at the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Kensington Gardens. The Serpentine’s Pavilion series has been running for 9 years, with a different architect rising to the challenge of designing an innovative temporary structure each summer. In recent years, we’ve seen pavilions from Olafur Eliasson and Oscar Niemeyer, and 2008 sees Los Angeles-based Gehry take the helm.

Gehry’s four huge wooden columns support a structure of glass, fir timber and steel. This acts as a framework for a promenade-like space which is set to house live talks, music and performance over the coming months. ‘i-am’ love the way the apparently haphazard network of glass appears to tilt and slide.

Gehry says, “The Pavilion is designed as a wooden timber structure that acts as an urban street running from the park to the existing Gallery. Inside the Pavilion, glass canopies are hung from the wooden structure to protect the interior from wind and rain and provide for shade during sunny days.”
The Serpentine Pavilion runs from 20th July – 19th October. Visit www.serpentinegallery.org for details on upcoming Park Nights.