Serpentine Pavilion 2018: Frida Escobedo
Frida Escobedo designs the 2018 Serpentine Pavilion in London's Hyde Park with a focus on light, water and geometry.
As Summer arrives in the city, one of the most highly anticipated events of the Art calendar launches; the Serpentine Pavilion in London's Hyde Park. Making its first appearance back in 2000, the Serpentine Galleries have invited Mexican architect Frida Escobedo to design the gallery's eighteenth pavilion for the public to visit and interact with during the Summer months.
Escobedo's Pavilion takes the form of an enclosed courtyard, its outer walls aligned with the Serpentine Gallery's eastern facade, and the internal walls align directly to the north. The pivotal internal structure references the Prime Meridian, which was established in 1851 at Greenwich, later becoming a global standard marker for time and geographical distance. This alignment with the Prime Meridian also creates a fascinating changing atmosphere within the pavilion, engaging with light in different ways throughout the day, filtering through the trellis-like structure and reflecting off the water and the canopy above.
British made materials have been used within the pavilion's construction, chosen for their dark colours and beautifully textured surfaces. A celosia; a traditional breeze wall common to Mexican architecture has been reimagined using a lattice of cement roof tiles, industrially produced within the United Kingdom. The latticework allows for visitors to view out across the park's landscape of blue and green hues whilst external passers-by are unable to view into the space. This beautiful mix of Mexican architecture and British material creates an impressive pavilion, a welcome addition to the gallery's prestigious list of architects, giving visitors a unique view of the surrounding landscape and a moment of calm within the constant buzz of the city.
Serpentine Pavilion 2018, designed by Frida Escobedo, Serpentine Gallery, London (15 June – 7 October 2018) © Frida Escobedo, Taller de Arquitectura, Photography © 2018 Iwan Baan
