Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 by Sou Fujimoto
Last Tuesday I went to the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens, this was my fourth visit to the gallery, I say that although I think I have only ever been inside the gallery once. I usually go to see the pavilion design which is usually located outside the gallery. The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is one of the most enterprising architectural programmes that happens annually. Every year in the summer since 2000 a highly acclaimed architect or designer is commissioned to create a temporary structure for the public, what they call the 'pavilion'. Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto was invited to create this year's pavilion.
From a distance the pavilion looked like a massive translucent but very much visible virtual cloud casually sitting on 10 acres of grass, I knew my mind wasn't playing tricks on me as I had read and seen pictures of this year's pavilion before hand, but that in all honesty is what it looked like from a far. Its almost surreal looking at it from the outside as you can clearly see people are sitting randomly in both the interior and exterior, what looks to the ordinary person as people sitting on thin air? However I knew there is no way that could be the case. The the outlining of the pavilion is out of steel (painted white) and glass designed for the square seats and steps. In Fujimoto's design statement he mentions how the greenery of the surroundings was his starting inspiration and the idea of creating a transparent structure that somehow blends in with the surroundings should then initiates an organic yet artificial landscape that can be used in a versatile way by the public. He pulls this off as inside the pavilion the space is used as a social area, with all sorts of people and different age groups congregating there, where refreshments are currently sold within by a sponsoring brand. Whilst I was in the pavilion I was thinking what else the space could be used for and what came to mind varied from performance space to workshop area. I admired the consistency and use of one colour as the few coffee tables and chairs in place are stained the same white as the fine steel bars influencing the calm and collective atmosphere. The circular discs roofing out of Perspex cleverly tiling each other, replicating the leaves the motion of the tree leaves as the wind came also plays its part.
I've only seen the last 4 pavilions but I think Sou Fujimoto's cloud is the most impressive. The experience is eye opening and interactive compared to previous Pavilions as you are able explore the site in a diverse way from different viewpoints creating more of a personal experience.
