Every year, in Summer time, I’m looking forward to visiting the Serpentine Pavilion basically for 2 reasons:
1.- It is an statement of architecture. How a “building” interacts with its surroundings, how it responds to use and how it relates to the user. The concept, the details, the use of technology, materials and colours are part of this “package”.
2.- How the interiors is being experienced.
This year The Serpentine Pavilion has been designed by Bjarke Ingels; an architecture practice base in Copenhagen and New York.
I have visited 8 pavilions so far and without any doubt I would say this is the most beautiful of them all.
There are five points I would like to share with you as to why I think this is the case for me. All these five points can be applicable to your interior design project, they are universal, they are part of our need of beauty, harmony and constant desire to create and have a wonderful experience in the buildings we own, share or visit.
The Idea
When I had my art gallery I organised an exhibition on paper, seven disciplines were chosen, among them, architecture.
But what can you exhibit about architecture that is not architecture yet, but it is pure architecture, that is represented on paper and that has its own merits as a work of art?
The answer for me was the first sketch where the idea of the building is expressed with few lines and with all the energy, density and expressiveness that just the hand can achieve when at the peak of the creative process. “The moment of creation”.
One of the reasons why this pavilion is so powerful is because it expresses very well the clarity of the idea behind it.
It is a wall that unzipped itself in the form of that beautiful shape. It is like an “intelligent energy” is pushing the bricks away from the centre of the wall in all directions creating this cavernous, organic, geometric look.
If you have the idea, you have the building.
The materials
Just three materials have been used in the construction of this pavilion: fibreglass, wood and aluminium.
Fibreglass was the only material for building it, wood is the element that connects the pavilion to the human experience and aluminium the “screws” that connect all the pieces.
How many times we have heard “less is more” and not realising the power of this approach. With this pavilion we can grasp it very easily.
Fiberglass a material that exudes a contemporary feel, almost a technological one as the thickness of the wall of the “bricks” suggest. The only way that thickness can achieve that height is because technology made it possible. It seems to be our way of answering the how of this structure.
Wood gives that warmth and assurance that life is welcomed, the connection with earth.
Materials always tell something, nobody can stop this, so choose wisely.
References
Why is the shape of the pavilion this year so fascinating?
The answer is that we are in Britain, the country that made of gothic its own style that modified it and took it to an unbelievable level, aesthetically and structurally: the perpendicular style.
So this pavilion reminds of a gothic cathedral with its aspiration to the verticality and light.
If your interior can have a clear reference it will engage at a deeper level with you.
The scale
Yes, we need not to forget that this building is a pavilion so the dimensions are not massive.
However the pavilion feels great and opulent.
The reason: the very well managed aspect of scale.
The relation between space and external walls is just the correct one, it allows one to feel immersed, protected and at the same time overwhelmed.
That is what makes possible us to have an experience when in it.
Scale is one of the most challenging things to achieve either in architecture or interior design. Just a sensitive designer at heart will achieve it.
The details
Details are what bring quality to the making of a building; it elevates the idea from being an idea to be a beautiful and dignified reality.
Details support the idea, they give structure, character and presence, they make the idea beautiful.
The details in the pavilion are so simple, but are the right ones…they supported the idea and encourage it.
Do you want dignity, beauty and transcendence in your interiors project? Pay attention to the details. If not you are creating a poor solution.
