London's Serpentine Gallery Pavilions
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(C) by RICOH GX200 User1/112011: Peter Zumthor
"Enclosed gardens fascinate me," says Swiss architectPeter Zumthor, who imagined this year's pavilion, a black structure with a sunlit garden by Dutch landscapist Piet Oudolf at its core. The idea that "something small has found sanctuary within something big" inspired his contemplative design. Visitors are encouraged to sit, observe, and experience the beauty of nature within the architecture.
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2/112010: Jean Nouvel
In the 40th year of theSerpentine Gallery—and the tenth anniversary of its pavilion series—French architectJean Nouvelcreated an electrifying structure of geometric forms. The most striking aspect was the vivid red (especially set against the greenery in the park) that permeated his entire design. "To celebrate summer, I wanted the scarlet and the green, like a flower, something very strong," Nouvel said. "Red is also very British, very London, with the buses, the telephone cabins. Red is a symbol of England, so it is not totally out of context."
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Photo: Iwan Baan3/11Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, of the Japan-based architecture firmSANAA, characterized their undulating creation as "floating aluminum, drifting freely between the trees like smoke." The open design was a noninvasive complement to its natural setting as the metal surface beautifully reflected the surrounding landscape.
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4/112008: Frank Gehry
Collaborating with his son Samuel for the first time, architectFrank Gehrydesigned an elaborate web of wood, glass, and steel, supported on enormous columns that rose dramatically from the lawn. A network of overlapping panes and planks added dimension to the skeletal structure. With terraced seating on either side, the space served as an urban promenade and place to rest, as well as an open-air auditorium.
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5/112007: Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen
Wanting to add a sense of height to these traditionally one-level buildings, Danish-Icelandic artistOlafur Eliassonand Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen, ofSnøhetta, teamed up on this pavilion that resembled a spinning top. A ramp spiraled around the stylized façade to the roof, which offered uninterrupted views of surrounding Hyde Park.
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6/112006: Rem Koolhaas
Questioning the conventional definition of a pavilion, Dutch architectRem Koolhaasand structural designerCecil Balmond(who, with global engineering and consulting firmArup, has contributed his expertise to other Serpentine Gallery Pavilion projects) imagined a translucent circular enclosure. Its design is distinguished by a soaring, inflatable egg-shaped roof that could be raised or lowered depending on the weather or the program taking place inside. ArtistThomas Demandcollaborated with Koolhaas and Balmond to bridge the gap between the architecture of this mixed-use structure and the modern art found in the neighboring gallery; his ivy-inspired wallpaper graced the space's interior frieze.
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This image can ONLY be used with prior permission and/or agreement of fees with Arcaid. For editorial consideration only.7/112005: Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura
"A pavilion is usually an isolated building, but with this site we felt we should maintain a relationship with the gallery and the trees, and these things were the start of the idea," explained Portuguese architectAlvaro Siza. Siza, with his longtime colleague and the 2011 Pritzker Prize winnerEduardo Souto de Moura, dreamed up this gridded construction, poised on the lawn like an animal (it was compared to a tortoise and an armadillo). The frame was crafted from interlocking timber planks and sheathed in translucent polycarbonate panels lit by solar-powered lights, giving the interior a luminous glow at night. The lower portion was left open so that visitors could appreciate the views across the park when seated.
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8/112003: Oscar Niemeyer
Brazilian architectOscar Niemeyerbelieves that the design of every project should be able to be summarized by a simple sketch—as evidenced by his unadorned yet bold pavilion. Although centered on a partly submerged lower level, the concrete, steel, aluminum, and glass structure seemed to float, which is quite a visual feat considering the heavy materials used. The arc in the roof softened his otherwise linear creation. In fact, a defining characteristic of much of his work is this curve, which he described as a "free and sensual curve, the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman."
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9/112002: Toyo Ito
Interested in the idea of creating "a box with no column," Japanese architectToyo Itoand Cecil Balmond conceived a space defined by a geometric series of triangles and trapezoids (some of glass, others aluminum) and a structural framework that relied on an unconventional interdependency of its parts. Although it looked random, the façade's pattern was derived from a formulated algorithm.
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10/112001: Daniel Libeskind
American architect, artist, and set designerDaniel Libeskindtook styling cues from origami when creating his abstract construction,Eighteen Turns. Brilliantly reflecting the beauty of the park, aluminum panels intersect one another and fold at varying degrees to create a series of intimate passages surrounding a large interior space.
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11/112000: Zaha Hadid
The Serpentine commissioned architectZaha Hadidto conceive the first temporary pavilion on its grounds; the structure served as the venue for the gallery's 30th anniversary gala event. At the heart of her design, which was a modern take on a traditional marquee, was an angled fabric roof that folded to various heights with some points reaching all the way to the ground, giving the temporary tented space a sense of permanence.
