This is the ninth project in a series of temporary structures to complement the main gallery building in Kensington Gardens during the warmer months; the pavilion will be open to the public from July to October 2009.
The SANAA structure will be the most ephemeral in the history of the Serpentine architecture program: it will be a polished aluminum canopy, a free-form undulating surface mounted on thin pillars. The authors compare it to smoke or fog freely spreading between trees. The pavilion will not only be associated with the natural environment: it will become a continuation of the park's space, not obscuring its views and attracting visitors with its openness.
As part of the project, the architects consider the subtle play of light on the pavilion's ceilings, which changes its appearance depending on the weather and time of day.
Despite the free form and the absence of walls, the building will be used in the same way as the summer pavilions of previous years: in the afternoon it will open a cafe, and in the evening various seminars, film screenings and a poetry marathon will be held.
