Francis Kéré's Serpentine Pavilion 2017 Opens

John Hill
20. June 2017
Photo © Iwan Baan

Kéré was selected by the Serpentine Galleries in February, when his design of a circular roof propped above blue prefab wood blocks was unveiled. The roof's steel structure and wood shading elements, combined with the triangular patterning of the wood blocks, stays very true to the renderings that accompanied the announcement.

Kéré analogized the pavilion as a tree, which act as a place to congregate and share stories in his native country. In London, people can gather beneath the steel and wooden canopy during a series of community talks called "Radical Kitchen," when "a different London group or campaign organization will assemble in the pavilion to share their recipes for creating meaningful social change." Of course, food will be served – by Mazí Mas, a pop-up restaurant and social enterprise run by migrant women.

Kéré's Serpentine Pavilion 2017, supported by Goldman Sachs, will be on display from 23 June to 8 October 2017.

Photo © Iwan Baan
Photo © Iwan Baan
Photo © Iwan Baan

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