【Book Description】
Since 2000, the Serpentine Gallery, located in London’s Kensington Gardens, has launched a unique and pioneering architectural program: each summer, one internationally renowned architect is invited to design a temporary Summer Pavilion adjacent to the gallery. Though these structures are only exhibited for three months, their exceptional creative freedom and experimental nature have made the program a highly anticipated annual event in the global architectural community.
Originally built in 1934 as a tea pavilion, the Serpentine Gallery was transformed in 1970 into a space dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Since then, it has hosted exhibitions by numerous renowned international artists, including Matthew Barney, Dan Flavin, Ellsworth Kelly, Louise Bourgeois, and Rachel Whiteread. As the only public contemporary art gallery in central London offering free admission year-round, the Serpentine has long been committed to fostering dialogue between art and architecture.
A defining feature of the Pavilion program is that invited architects must not have completed a building in the UK at the time of invitation. From conception to completion, the entire process is limited to just six months. Despite this tight timeframe and modest budgets, each pavilion showcases remarkable innovation and architectural experimentation. As acclaimed architect Richard Rogers once praised, “The pavilions, erected for relatively little money, are unbelievably good. I couldn’t single one out—they are all masterpieces.”
This book marks the first comprehensive publication to compile all Serpentine Pavilion projects from the past decade, beginning with Zaha Hadid’s inaugural pavilion in 2000 and continuing through to Jean Nouvel’s bold 2010 design. It includes works by Daniel Libeskind, Toyo Ito, Oscar Niemeyer, Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry, SANAA, as well as the unrealized 2004 pavilion by MVRDV and Zaha Hadid’s 2006 temporary installation, Lilas.
Featuring original sketches, photographs of completed structures, and behind-the-scenes insights, the book also includes in-depth interviews with Serpentine Director Julia Peyton-Jones and Exhibitions Director Hans-Ulrich Obrist, offering readers a deeper understanding of the program’s curatorial vision and cultural significance. This volume is an essential reference for architecture enthusiasts and a beautifully produced guide to the evolving language of contemporary and temporary architecture.
【Details】
Author: Philip Jodidio
Publisher: TASCHEN
Dimensions: 30 × 30 cm
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 332 pages