Since its launch in 2000, the Serpentine Pavilion has been providing renowned and emerging architects with a platform for design experimentation, becoming an important display of contemporary architecture. Each year, the commissioned architects and designers envision a temporary structure that speaks not only to their roots as creators, but also brings into focus what they consider to be important themes in the architectural world, from the need to redefine spaces for contemplation or conviviality, to explorations into the potential of natural materials or vernacular building techniques. On the day of the public opening of the 2024 Serpentine Pavilion, the "Archipelagic Void" designed by Korean architect Minsuk Cho and his firm Mass Studies, we look back at the last eight editions of the famous annual structure.
Serpentine Pavilion 2024 "Archipelagic Void" by Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies
The recently opened 23rd Serpentine Pavilion promises to offer a different kind of experience for the visitors of Kensington Gardens, who have grown accustomed to the architectural experiments taking shape here each year. In reference to mandang, a type of open courtyard found in traditional Korean houses, the pavilion is envisioned as a central void surrounded by five 'islands', each with its distinctive identity and function. To enhance these different characters, architect Minsuk Cho has collaborated with different artists, composers, and archivists to bring their expertise into the final architectural form.
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The 23rd Serpentine Pavilion Designed by Minsuk Cho Opens to the Public on June 7th, 2024Serpentine Pavilion 2023 by Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture">Serpentine Pavilion 2023 "À table" by Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture
In 2023, French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh was selected to design the 22nd Serpentine Pavilion. Her proposal, titled À table, was conceived as an invitation to sit down together at a table and engage in an open dialogue while sharing a meal. This simple yet engaging idea took the shape of a round wooden structure with tables organized around a central oculus that brings in light through the low-hung ceiling. By creating opportunities for relaxed conversations, the pavilion strived to capture a certain feeling of coming together despite differences and working through the issues faced by all of us.
Serpentine Pavilion 2022 "Black Chapel" by Theaster Gates
The 21st Serpentine Pavilion, Black Chapel, designed by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates was realized with the architectural support of Adjaye Associates. Going beyond architecture to create a space for shared emotional and spiritual experiences brought forth by sacred music and sacred arts, the project draws inspiration from the architectural typologies that ground the artist’s practice. It references the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent in England, the beehive kilns of the Western United States, San Pietro, and the Roman tempiettos and traditional African building structures. In addition to the careful consideration of the emotional impact of architecture, the project also pays close attention to how the building materials are sourced, collaborating with the non-profit foundation Grace Farms to ensure fair labor conditions throughout the production process and to bring visibility to the problem of modern slavery in the construction materials supply chain.
Serpentine Pavilion 2021 Designed by Sumayya Vally, Counterspace
Counterspace, the 20th practice to accept the invitation to design the Serpentine pavilion, has created an intervention “based on past and present places of meeting, organizing and belonging across London”. Re-interpreting the shapes of London into the structure, referencing the architecture of places of worship, markets, restaurants, bookshops, and local cultural institutions that are particularly relevant to migrant communities in neighborhoods, the project will also have fragments installed across the city.
Serpentine Pavilion 2019 by Junya Ishigami
Japanese architect Junya Ishigami's design for the 2019 pavilion arranges slates to form a unified canopy roof that seemed to rise organically from the park's landscape. Inside, the pavilion featured an enclosed, cave-like area, offering a serene space for contemplation. "My design for the Pavilion plays with our perspectives of the built environment against the backdrop of a natural landscape, emphasizing a natural and organic feel as though it had grown out of the lawn, resembling a hill made out of rocks," explained Ishigami.
Serpentine Pavilion 2018 by Frida Escobedo
Escobedo's design, which fuses elements typical to Mexican architecture with local London references, features a courtyard enclosed by two rectangular volumes constructed from cement roof tiles. These tiles are stacked to form a celosia, a type of wall common to Mexican architecture that is permeable, allowing ventilation and views to the other side.
Serpentine Pavilion 2017 by Francis Kéré
The 2017 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Francis Kéré was conceived as a microcosmos—"a community structure within Kensington Gardens". The pavilion has been designed to consciously fuse cultural references from Kéré's hometown of Gando in Burkino Faso, with "experimental construction techniques." The architect hopes that the pavilion, as a social condenser, "will become a beacon of light, a symbol of storytelling and togetherness."
Serpentine Pavilion 2016 Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group
The 2016 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by BIG consists of an "unzipped wall" in which a straight line of tubular fiberglass bricks at the top of the wall is split into two undulating sides, housing the program of the pavilion. For the first time, the 2016 Serpentine Pavilion is also accompanied by four "summerhouses" designed by Kunlé Adeyemi, Barkow Leibinger, Yona Friedman, and Asif Khan.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on February 08, 2022, written by Andreea Cutieru, and updated on June 7, 2024.
_2523.jpg?1644264760 "A Look at the Last 8 Editions of the Serpentine Pavilion")
