Smiljan Radić's Serpentine Pavilion | London (UK) | By Emma Harrison
July 15, 2014 in Architecture 
The Serpentine Pavilion Commission, now in it’s 14th year, has hosted many experimental and impressive structures from some of the world’s greatest architects. From last year’s intricate and airy construction from Sou Fujimoto to Frank Gehry’s Da Vinci-inspired 2008 multi-dimensional space, each year the unveiling of the pavilion is eagerly anticipated and 2014 has not disappointed.
Designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić, the otherworldly, pebble-like structure rests upon large quarry stones and houses a flexible social space and café. At home in a seemingly natural setting, the cylindrical structure has a semi-translucent skin and as the sun goes down, the pavilion’s amber glare illuminates the foreground of the gallery- an image that would not seem out of place in science fiction.
The ethereal nature of the pavilion is further drawn out by the spatial arrangements inside and Radić explains, ‘this shell - white, translucent and made of fibreglass - will house an interior organised around an empty patio, from where the natural setting will appear lower, giving the sensation that the entire volume is floating’.
The pavilion will remain in place for four months and on Friday nights between July and September, the venue will play host to the Serpentine’s Park Nights series. Consisting of eight events, each evening explores art, poetry, music, film, literature and theory alongside a preview of three new commissions by emerging artists Lina Lapelyte, Hannah Perry and Heather Phillipson.
London, Serpentine Pavilion