The 2010 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion has been designed by French architect Jean Nouvel - and consists of an entirely red building.
It is the 10th commission in the Gallery’s annual architectural series and will be the architect’s first completed building in the UK.
The design for the 2010 Pavilion is a contrast of lightweight materials and dramatic metal cantilevered structures.
The entire design is rendered in a vivid red that, in a play of opposites, contrasts with the green of its park setting, with the colour reflecting the iconic British images of traditional telephone boxes, post boxes and London buses.
The building consists of bold geometric forms, large retractable awnings and a freestanding wall that climbs 12m above the lawn, sloping at a gravity defying angle.
Striking glass, polycarbonate and fabric structures create a versatile system of interior and exterior spaces.
Around the Pavilion, Nouvel has created spaces for outdoor enjoyment and play, bringing the tradition of French civic parks to London.
Red table tennis tables, draughts, chess, frisbees and kites will be available for the public to play with throughout the summer months.
The auditorium will accommodate the Serpentine Gallery café and the Gallery’s Park Nights programme, which culminates in the 5th Serpentine Gallery Marathon: The Marathon of Maps for the 21 Century on October 16-17.
Nouvel is responsible for the design of over 200 buildings over the world, including the Copenhagen Concert Hall, the Ferrari Factory, Modena, 40 Mercer Street in New York and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
Nouvel’s approach is characterised by a conceptual rigour, rather than by an overarching aesthetic. He emphasises research, analysis and discussion, creating designs that are highly individual to each project.
Nouvel has worked with the structural design and engineering firm Arup, led by David Glover and Ed Clark with Cecil Balmond to realise the project.
Allowing Nouvel to let his imagination run wild, there is no budget for the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission - it is paid for by sponsorship, sponsorship help-in-kind and the sale of the finished structure, which does not cover more than 40 per cent of its cost.
Arup will provide all the engineering and specialist design solutions for the Pavilion.
