The 17th Serpentine Pavilion is revealed
You know summer is finally here when the Serpentine Pavilion is revealed. This year’s pop-up structure was the work of Francis Kéré, a German-trained, Burkina Faso-born architect who became the 17th architect to construct a temporary pavilion since the competition launched in 2000.
The structure’s blue-coloured free-standing timber walls curve into a circle around a courtyard, with a roof which boasts an irrigation system through an opening which will transport rainwater from the roof to the surrounding park in a “spectacular waterfall”.
Francis Kéré noted that “Every path and tree and even the Serpentine Lake were all carefully designed. I am fascinated by how this artificial landscape offered a new way for people in the city to experience nature. In Burkina Faso, I am accustomed to being confronted with climate and natural landscape as a harsh reality. For this reason I was interested in how my contribution to this royal park could not only enhance the visitor’s experience of nature but also provoke a new way for people to connect with each other.”
Francis Kéré’s design follows pavilions by a long list of famous architects and artists, among them Zaha Hadid, Ai Weiwei, David Adjaye and Bjarke Ingels.
The Serpentine Pavilion will open to the public from Friday 23 June – 8 October.
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Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.