Review: Serpentine Pavilion 2015 ★★★★★

Serpentine Pavilion designed by SelgasCano 2015; Photograph copyright Iwan Baan


SelgasCano Serpentine Pavilion 2015

Part Barbie dream house and part gingerbread cottage in the woods, the new structure on the Serpentine Gallery lawn by Spanish SelgasCano architecture studio is the most joyful pavilion yet. And it is a dramatic change from Smiljan Radić's 2014 Pavilion which felt like an enormous bulbous shell balanced precariously on an ancient neolithic site.




Serpentine Pavilion designed by SelgasCano 2015; Photograph copyright Iwan Baan


Woven together with multi-coloured panels of fluorescent polymers, the tentacles of this polygonal structure feel like a vast playground that will delight families all summer long. Through a maze of internal and external corridors, you'll move through the fluid pathways of the pavilion towards the central space where the café and Park Nights series are to be found. José Selgas and Lucía Cano explain the inspiration came from the complex layers of the London Underground and the constant chaotic flow of city dwellers.

Simple materials are also the name of the game for this SelgasCano London structure which lovingly embraces the natural surroundings and dappled light of Hyde Park to punctuate the double-layered shell with bursts of light and spots of shadow. And it doesn't matter if the sun isn't shining, the SelgasCano Pavilion is just as atmospheric in the light of dreary rainclouds and summer nights as clear blue skies. 




SelgasCano Madrid-based architect studio at Serpentine Gallery Hyde Park


Who are SelgasCano?

The husband and wife team based in Madrid pride themselves on their innovative use of new technologies and radical synthetic materials, shaped by bright colours and changing light. They've made a name for themselves with their transparent Office in the Woods (2009), which is their base of operations, and Silicon House (2007) nestled in a forest outside Madrid. Little known in the UK, SelgasCano are a big name on the international architecture stage, but their only design to be found in London is the vibrant refurbishment of start-up hub Second Home in Shoreditch (well worth a visit). As we've seen before with illustrious Pavilion designers like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Smiljan Radić, big things are sure to follow this Serpentine commission for the Spanish pair. 

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Curious about architects of the minute SelgasCano and the history of the Serpentine Pavilion? We tell you everything you need to know.

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Serpentine Pavilion designed by SelgasCano 2015


Serpentine Pavilion café

By day the Serpentine Galleries' Pavilion hosts sumptuous afternoon tea, doggie treats and Knickerbocker Glory ice cream from Fortnum & Mason, while by night the Pavilion takes on a whole new life as the host for the deliriously eclectic Serpentine Park Nights on Friday evenings from July to September. We are particularly intrigued by new commissions from young artists to watch - Jesse Darling, Fleur Melbourn and Marianna Simnett. Then there is a whole host of art, literature, film and music events to sink your teeth into. 

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Serpentine Park Nights

From rising emerging artists to poetry readings and Greek tragedy, the Serpentine Park Nights is a whirlwind of quirky contemporary art.

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Serpentine Pavilion designed by SelgasCano 2015


The mosaic of fluorescent colours and dancing light at play make wandering the tunnels of the SelgasCano Pavilion 2015 feel like you've stepped into a tropical conch shell. Not only is the structure a triumph, the culinary and cultural treats on offer inside are some of our favourites this summer.