Summer has arrived in London, and with it the annual parade of events and openings. The Chelsea Flower Show is behind us and Wimbledon is ahead, but this week the city’s attention is on Hyde Park. Why? It’s the opening of the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London.
Serpentine Pavilion in London
Every summer since 2000, the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park has invited an architect to create her or his first built structure in England.
The Serpentine Pavilion acts as a cafe and free seating area for the public by day, and an event space for performance artists by night.
I’ve gone to see it every year since moving to London, and have always loved discovering what international architects create for the space.
Serpentine Pavilion
And one year was particularly special. First, the Serpentine Pavilion was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), an architecture firm my cousin worked for in New York.
She was in town for the opening, and it was great to hear all about the pavilion and its design from her.
Second, the Serpentine Pavilion in London is funded entirely through sponsorship, in-kind support, and the sale of the pavilion structure.
That year one of the supporters was Goldman Sachs, my former employer. Say what you will about the firm—I’ve heard it all—but I’m happy they’ve supported the arts (among many other causes) over the years.
Third, there was an exciting new development alongside the Serpentine Pavilion in London that year: the Summer Houses.
Four architects—Yona Friedman, Asif Khan, Kunle Adeyemi, and Barkow Leibinger—designed structures inspired by Queen Caroline’s Temple, a classical-style 18th-century building that sits in Kensington Gardens next to the Serpentine Gallery.
Each architect took a different approach, resulting in four very different Summer Houses surrounding the original.
I went to the press preview, getting a guided tour of BIG’s Serpentine Pavilion from my cousin and a chance to see the Summer Houses up close before they opened to the public.
I also got to hear the architects speak about their work. I particularly liked the way Yona Friedman described architecture as “sculpture with an inside”.
I also loved the pavilion, which was created to resemble an “unzipped” wall. The opening had a cathedral-like feel that lifted the eyes to the sky, while the hollow fiberglass rectangles allowed plenty of soft, natural light inside.
It was the perfect place to take shelter on a summer afternoon, rain or shine.
Serpentine Summer Houses
Over at the Summer Houses, I fell in love with Asif Khan’s work. He created a circular line of timber staves inspired by the position of Queen Caroline’s Temple to capture the sun on The Serpentine lake.
I also enjoyed the way Kunle Adeyemi’s house captured the view of the temple and acted as an inverse model of it.
Above all, I liked that the concept of the pavilion and Summer Houses once again brought architecture into London’s parks in a way that both inspired and served as a functional place to sit, rest, relax, and soak up the city’s green spaces.
Serpentine Pavilions in the Future
I can’t wait to see what future Serpentine Pavilions in London bring. If you’re in London between early June and early October, I highly recommend a visit.
What do you think of the Serpentine Pavilion in London? And the Summer Houses?
Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!
New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.
Pin it!
I think it looks great – fantastic pics 🙂
Looking forward to visiting it in person!
Thanks! I had a mixed reaction on Facebook, so I’m glad you appreciate it!
I think it looks pretty funky Julie! Seeing it must have been all the more exciting & with the added connections of your cousin’s firm’s involvement and your previous employer too – what a coincidence!
Yeah! It was great to have some connections to it this year. I hope you get a chance to see it!
Always love this exhibition, and look forward to it every year
Nice! Same here.
It was great 🙂
Nice!