Due to popular demand, the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion will now remain open for an additional six weeks, through November 19th. This year's installation was designed by Diébédo Francis Kéré and inspired by the community tree of his native Burkina Faso. The award-winning architect from Gando responded to this year's brief with a bold, innovative structure, engineered by AECOM, that brings his characteristic sense of light and life to the lawns of Kensington Gardens. 

Central to the Kéré's design was the shift from day to night, in which the Pavilion becomes a beacon of light. AECOM worked closely with Kéré to envision the mood and ambience from multiple points of view to craft a subtle and inviting glow. The end result: daylight streams into and through the structure during the day, while at night artificial lights reverse the process, flowing out of the structure and inviting people to come and visit.

Amy Koerbel, the Regional Director at AECOM, commented: “This year’s program has been ambitious as always and the hard work has really paid off. It is wonderful to see the space being enjoyed and admired by so many visitors this summer. I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue to show guests this fantastic structure over the next few months and I am excited to see how the lighting design – Francis’ vision of the beacon – will feature more and more as the days become shorter.”