This will be the 10th project of this program, involving architects who have not implemented a single project in England. In the case of Nouvel, the organizers had to hurry: at the end of this year, his office and shopping complex One New Change near St. Paul's Cathedral will be completed, so this summer is the last when a French architect can build a temporary pavilion in Kensington Gardens.
In 2010, the round date is celebrated not only by the architectural program, but also by the Serpentine Gallery itself, which turns 40 years old. Nouvel's work looks festive enough for such an occasion: it is a bright red structure on a metal frame, made of transparent plastic and fabric. The main element of his composition is a 12-meter wall set at an angle of 70 degrees. Nearby will be a transformable auditorium-cafe and exhibition space, which will house the installation by Christian Boltanski "Heartbeat". Nouvel also allocated a place for playing table tennis in the open air. Depending on the weather, the canopies covering the pavilion can be removed or unfolded.
The color of the building, which contrasts with the greenery of the park, is the red of London buses, mailboxes and telephone booths. It will attract 250,000 visitors to the pavilion annually (from July to October, while the pavilion is open), making the Serpentine Gallery program the most popular architectural exhibition in the world (by comparison, the 2008 Venice Biennale was attended by 129,000 people, which was a record for this event).
