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Every year, the unveiling of the Serpentine Pavilion marks the true beginning of summer. Some brilliant architect will have designed some eye-boggling structure and plonked it in the middle of Hyde Park and the culture vultures will descend on it to feast like they’ve just discovered a juicy cultural antelope carcass, and that’s the international signal for ‘right, get an iced coffee and lie in some grass until you get a sunburn’.
This year’s pavilion is the twentieth and was meant to open last year, but was delayed for obvious reasons. It looks like it was worth the wait, though. The South African architectural practice Counterspace, under the direction of Sumayya Vally, were tasked with this year’s design, which is inspired by the places of worship, restaurants, markets and meeting places that are vital to inner-city immigrant communities. The result is a space that’s both wide open and full of areas to seclude yourself in.
And for the first time, bits of the pavilion will be installed around London throughout the summer too. The space also comes with a soundtrack by artists like Ain Bailey and Jay Bernard.
It’s been a long time coming, but the twentieth Serpentine Pavilion is finally here, and it’s all about celebrating the diversity and togetherness of our city: what more could you ask for?
The Serpentine Pavilion, Jun 11-Oct 17. Details here.
Looking for more juicy cultural carcasses to feast on? Here are London’s top ten exhibitions.
More? You want MORE? Here, have the best free exhibitions in London right now.