Built for the contemporary art museum in Kensington Gardens in London, the Serpentine pavilion is a temporary edifice. Every year the commission invites a foreign architect to conceive a new summer pavilion to host symposiums, performances and concerts. For its 17th transformation, architect Francis Kéré has conceived a structure which resembles a giant dome with a wooden frame inspired by his work on climate.
Francis Kéré conceived this dome out of wood and metal with the goal of “symbolically highlighting the essential role of water as a necessary resource for the survival of men and their prosperity.” Because this, the 17th pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery, has an ecological function, with the architect from Burkino Faso drawing inspiration from previous works, notably in his native village of Gando where he built the primary school with an emphasis on protecting children from the oppressive heat of the region. This new pavilion is like a giant parasol allowing rainwater to be evacuated through the centre of the edifice. The structure also deals with the question of inter-community dialogue, as it reproduces the effects of a palaver tree under which African communities gather in the search of shade and discussion.
Summer Season at the SERPENTINE GALLERY
From June 8th to September 10th 2017
The Serpentine Pavillon by Francis Kéré
From June 23rd to October 8th 2017
