The design team Herzog and De Meuron and Ai Weiwei
“Every year since 2000, a different architect has been responsible for cre- ating the Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Pavilion. So many pavilions in so many different shapes and out of so many different materials have been con- ceived and built that we instinctively tried to sidestep the problem of creat- ing an object, a concrete shape. Our path to an alternative solution involved digging down fi ve feet into the soil of the park until we reach the groundwater. There we [created] a kind of well to collect all of the London rain that falls in the area of the Pavilion. As we dig down into the earth to
reach the groundwater, we encounter a diversity of constructed realities such as telephone cables, remains of former foundations or backfi lls. Like a team of archaeologists, we identify these phys-
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei Jacques Herzog (left) and Pierre de Meuron
"The roof fl oats a few feet above the grass of the park, so that everyone can see the water on it, its surface refl ecting the infi nitely-varied, atmospheric skies of London"
ical fragments as remains of the 11 pavilions between 2000 and 2011. On the foundations of each single pavilion, we extrude a new structure as load-bearing elements for the roof of our Pavilion. The roof fl oats a few feet above the grass of the park, so
that everyone visiting can see the water on it, its surface refl ecting the infi nitely varied, atmospheric skies of London. For special events, the water can be drained off the roof as from a bathtub, from whence it fl ows back into the waterhole."
Cork-covered stools provide seating for visitors to the Pavilion HERZOG & DE MEURON AND AI WEIWEI © 2012 LUKE HAYES
The changing sky is refl ected in the water-fi lled elevated roof HERZOG & DE MEURON AND AI WEIWEI © 2012 JOHN OFFENBACH
ESPA, Pavilion sponsor Susan Harmsworth MBE, CEO, ESPA
"ESPA shares a common ethos with the Serpentine Gallery; that great architec- ture and design can enrich lives and act as a creative springboard for new thinking and ideas.
ESPA creates spa design and skincare products
"Great architecture and design can enrich lives and act as a creative spring- board for new thinking"
ISSUE 3 2012 © cybertrek 2012
This year’s Pavilion concept is no exception. The vision of the design team of Herzog & de Meuron in col- laboration with Ai Weiwei and their archaeological approach "to inspire visitors to look beneath the surface as well as back in time," perfectly refl ects ESPA's rich heritage in designing
iconic spa environments and creating beautifully effective natural products. ESPA’s philosophy is all about striv- ing for natural elegance in everything we do. We combine the design and management of prestigious spas across fi ve continents with the crea- tion of pioneering, natural products. The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is an appropriate refl ection of the brand’s pioneering commitment over two dec- ades to our core brand values. ESPA will be celebrating its British heritage throughout 2012 by embark- ing on a series of collaborations with British cultural institutions, artists and luminaries that showcase the best in design and expertise." ●
Read Leisure Management online
leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 29
© AI WEIWEI
HERZOG & DE MEURON © 2011, MARCO GROB
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