Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, celebrated for his experimental structures that interpret traditional architectural conventions and reflect natural phenomena, has designed the Serpentine Pavilion 2019.
The design takes roofs, the most common architectural feature, as its point of departure and inspiration. It is reminiscent of roofing tiles seen around the world, bridging both architectural and cultural references through this single architectural feature. The roof of the Pavilion is made by arranging slates to create a canopy that alludes to nature. It appears to emerge from the ground of the surrounding Park.
Within, the interior of the Pavilion is an enclosed cave-like space, a refuge for contemplation. Ishigami said: ?My design for the Pavilion plays with our perspectives of the built environment against the backdrop of a natural landscape, emphasising a natural and organic feel as though it had grown out of the lawn, resembling a hill made out of rocks.??
For Ishigami, the Pavilion articulates his ??free space?? philosophy in which he seeks harmony between man-made structures and those that already exist in nature. He is the nineteenth architect to accept the invitation to design a temporary Pavilion on the Serpentine Galllery??s lawn in Kensington Gardens.
This pioneering commission, which began in 2000 with Zaha Hadid, has presented the first UK structures by some of the biggest names in international architecture. In recent years it has grown into a highly-anticipated showcase for emerging talent, from Frida Escobedo of Mexico to Francis Kéré of Burkina Faso and Bjarke Ingels of Denmark, whose 2016 Pavilion was the most visited architectural design exhibition in the world.
