Ai Weiwei/Herzog & de Meuron Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery
Dodging the blustery rain showers on this grey Bank Holiday I visited the 11th summer pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. It’s a collaboration between the Chinese artist Ai Weiwi and Swiss architects (Tate Modern) Herzog and de Meuron.
I thought I’d try out the camera on my new iPad, using the Hipstamatic app.
The pavilion is open from June 1st- October 14th, and is the 12th structure designed by international architects who hadn’t had buildings constructed in the UK at the time of their commission. They included Frank Gehry in 2008, Jean Nouvel in 2010, Oscar Niemeyer in 2003 and Daniel Libeskind in 2001. Zaha Hadid designed the first in 2000.
(Below ground seating area – not stone or concrete but cork.)
The Serpentine Gallery explains the inspiration for the commission:
“This year’s Pavilion takes visitors beneath the Serpentine’s lawn to explore the hidden history of its previous Pavilions. Eleven columns characterising each past Pavilion and a twelfth column support a floating platform 1.5 metres above ground. Taking an archaeological approach, the architects have created a design that will inspire visitors to look beneath the surface of the park as well as back in time across the ghosts of the earlier structures.”
Even on a grey day the reflecting pool on the roof of the structure invites contemplation.
I love these stools – made of cork to look like giant corks.
There’s a nice coffee truck with interesting food and during the summer there will be Park Nights of lectures, film screenings and music culminating in a great sounding event on the weekend of October 13th called Memory Marathon, inspired by the Ai Weiwei – Herzog & de Meuron collaboration.
Open daily 10am – 6pm
Category: In the loupe
