The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, was presented to the press today before it will officially open to the public tomorrow, June 1. — bustler.net
Since Chinese officials had put Ai Weiwei on 'city arrest' in his hometown Beijing, he was not able to attend the ceremony together with his design collaborators Jaques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Weiwei was however allowed to send a recorded statement: “As an artist, I’m always very interested in putting art, design, architecture and social change together ... to give new possibilities.”
For a detailed conceptual description by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei, check out this previous Bustler post.
All photographs above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012 Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei © Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei (Photo © 2012 Iwan Baan)
All drawings and renderings above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012, designed by Herzog & de Meuron & Ai Weiwei © 2012, by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei
9 Comments
Looks best from above, kind of dreary underneath, like a dark basement. Just not very inspiring to me.
it came out much more refined then i was expecting, given the whole architecture as archaeology premise. then again given the designers, maybe not so much.....
They really did make it out of cork!
The cork surface looks nice to sit on. I love cork, we should all use it more often AND it's sustainably grown/harvested!
I wonder what the idea behind the lighting type and arrangement was. Seems random pinpoints could have been successful.
It seems kind of like a mashup of minimal/conceptual art and mid-career Eisenman.
Agreed about the lighting - pinholes through the water could've been cool...
are those stools massive wine corks?!? awesome!
i like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The roof is the bestest part of all time!
ummm... dark and cold under there... not a nice place to sit with London's weather.
disappointing for a serpentine pavilion
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