BIG’s “unzipped wall” Serpentine Pavilion opens in Hyde Park

This summer’s Serpentine Pavilion, designed to resemble an “unzipped wall,” has opened in Hyde Park, London. Created by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the pavilion will open from 10 June — 9 October 2016 with free entry to the public.

The pavilion’s form is inspired by a brick wall, made from fibreglass frames stacked on top of each other. At the top the wall is a straight line, which is pulled apart at the bottom to create a cavity within, transforming the wall into a space.

“We have attempted to design a structure that embodies multiple aspects that are often perceived as opposites,” says Bjarke, “free-form yet rigorous, modular yet sculptural, transparent and opaque, solid box and blob.”

The space inside will house a cafe and a programme of events throughout the summer.

For the first time this year, the Serpentine has also commissioned four Summer Houses, a series of temporary pavilions by Kunlé Adeyemi (NLÉ), Barkow Leibinger, Yona Friedman and Asif Khan.