Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, known for his experimental works that blend nature and fantasy, has been tapped by the Serpentine Gallery to design their popular summer attraction, the Serpentine Pavilion. The highly sought-after commission follows the success of previous iterations by rising stars in the world of architecture, Frida Escobedo (2018) and Diébédo Francis Kéré (2017).
At 44, Ishigami, who worked at SANAA before starting his own practice, has amassed a unique body of work. In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale for his installation “Architecture as Air," praised by the jury for pushing the "limits of materiality, visibility, tectonics, thinness, and ultimately of architecture itself.” Described by Oliver Wainwright as a magician of materials, Ishigami's gift for creating unfeasibly light structures is obvious in other notable works such as the Kanagawa Institute of Technology Workshop in Japan and the cloud-like House of Peace in Copenhagen.
Ishigami will bring his unconventional vision to Kensington Gardens with a single canopy roof remarkably made from slate. His hope for the structure is for it to appear as though it has wondrously grown out of the Serpentine Galley lawn—and that it provides a space for contemplation.
Describing his design, the architect said that it "is an attempt to supplement traditional architecture with modern methodologies and concepts, to create in this place an expanse of scenery like never seen before. Possessing the weighty presence of slate roofs seen around the world, and simultaneously appearing so light it could blow away in the breeze, the cluster of scattered rock levitates, like a billowing piece of fabric."
The cave-like space will be open to the public from June 20th to October 6th. Ishigami is the nineteenth architect to accept the invitation, and the fourth Japanese architect to be involved with the pavilion commission since its first effort in 2000, designed by Zaha Hadid.
6 Comments
This is an excellent choice! Looking forward to seeing it.
And yet another reason to pay London a visit over the summer.
I retract my former statement now that it's come out that Ishigami uses unpaid labor to do his work. It's bullshit. Boycott the Serpentine.
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/serpentine-pavilion-architect-under-fire-over-unpaid-interns/10041229.article
from that article: According to the email, the placement would last for a period of 8 to 12 weeks ‘or more’, with interns required to use their own software and computer equipment.
Is he just admitting to using student version or non-licensed software too? Can't afford to pay staff or buy a few autodesk monthly licenses.
i've heard reports of dire working conditions from friends who interned at famous architecture firms in japan.
^and that's why working unpaid gigs is a negative mark on your CV.
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