The 15th Serpentine Pavilion in London will be a ‘chrysalis-like’ structure clad with colourful, transparent, fluorine-plastic fabric (ETFE). The very first images of the concept have just been released.
Designed by Spanish architecture office SelgasCano, this pavilion of organically shaped spaces in a series of different sizes will house flexible, multi-purpose social space and a café that will be open throughout the summer.
The ETFE plastic material forming the pavilion’s shell will be installed in panels, with strips of the material woven through and around the structure. The plastic will act like stained glass, filtering coloured light into the interior spaces.
This design office is known for its use of bright colours, material transparency and combining new technology with synthetic materials. “We sought a way to allow the public to experience architecture through simple elements: structure, light, transparency, shadows, lightness, form, sensitivity, change, surprise, colour and materials,” said the Madrid-based architects.
Each year, the Serpentine commisions an architect to create a pavilion that pushes the boundaries of architecture. Other invited architects to design pavilions for the Serpentine include Peter Zumthor, Zaha Hadid, Sanna, Herzog & de Meuron, Frank Gehry, Jean Novel and Sou Fugimoto to name a few.
The pavilion will open in London’s Kensington Gardens on June 25 and close on the 18th of October. More about Serpentine Galleries here.