Serpentine Pavilion 2005
PAVILION: Portable accomodation; tent; hut; isolated construction, in the centre or on the sides of the main body of a building; small house; the wider edge of some wind instruments; pergola; flag; standard; naval symbol of nationality; naval strength of a country; bed canopy; sacrarium curtain; cartilaginous outer part of auditory channel. (Encyclopaedia Verbo)
From this I extract the definition “isolated construction, in the centre or on the sides of the main body of the building”.
The Pavilion leans towards the Neo-Classical building lika an animal with its paws riveted to the ground, tense with the desire to approach, but nevertheless restrained. It’s back is distented, its hair standing on end. It glances sideways, with antennae twitching towards the building. It obliges it to define a space. It has to stop, lowering its head; it cannot go forward. But will it eat the building one day?
It allows passers-by to cross over it, discloses its brick floor for their enjoyment. It offers up chairs, tables, shade.
Lazy, but restless, it scatters a golden light that puts its stamp on the London sky – peaceful in its corner of the world.
No building can remain isolated, even if it wants to. In this world there are no deserts or far-off things.
Álvaro Siza
Porto, 2 March 2005
Integrated Design: ARUP; Hamish Nevile, Martin Self, Lip Chiong, Charles Walker, Steve Walker, Andrew Hall, Anthony Ferguson, Andrew Lawrence
Porto Architectural/Strutural Liaison: AFA; António Adão da Fonseca, Rui Furtado, Raul Serafim
Project Advisors: Peter Rogers, Stanhope plc; Lord Palumbo, chairman; Serpentine Gallery; Zaha Hadid, Trustee, Serpentine Gallery
Project Director: Julia Peyton-Jones – Serpentine Gallery
Project Manager: Mark Robinson
Project Organizer: Rebecca Morril, Serpertine Gallery
Planning and Building Control: City of Westminster Planning and Transportation Department
