[title]
While it feels like winter isn’t going anywhere fast, it’s time to cast your mind forward to the summer. The design for the Serpentine’s annual pavilion has just been announced and this year it has a special London focus.
The temporary structure, which opens on June 11, is designed by Johannesburg-based architectural studio Counterspace. The all-female team of Sumayya Vally, Sarah de Villiers and Amina Kaskar (who, incidentally, were all born in 1990, making them the youngest ever architects to get the prestigious commission) have created a structure integrating ‘places of memory and care’ from Brixton, Hoxton, Hackney, Whitechapel, Edgware Road, Peckham, Ealing, North Kensington and elsewhere in the city.
The completed pavilion will include small, moveable parts that will first be on display in those London neighbourhoods as part of a series of community events. The pieces will then be incorporated into the main structure in Hyde Park throughout the summer months. The geometric shapes making up the main bulk of the dark grey and pink-tinted construction are also inspired by existing London spaces used by migrant and other marginalised communities.
Counterspace’s design marks the twentieth anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion. The first, in 2000, was designed by Zaha Hadid and since then the commission has famously embraced bold, experimental designs. Last year, Japanese architect Junya Ishigami’s design involved a cooling, black slate roof sweeping dramatically across the park. In stark contrast, Counterspace’s design looks like a cross between a Grecian temple ruin and a members-only shared workspace. Sleek, cool and airy – you’ll know where to find us this summer.
The Serpentine Pavilion is open June 11 - October 11 in Hyde Park. Click here for more details.
Can't wait until then? Find art to see right now by clicking here.