Getting the opportunity to design a structure for the Serpentine Pavilion is like the Super Bowl of architecture. I had the pleasure of visiting last year’s pavilion designed by Francis Kere and was so amazed and moved by the space that I honestly could have stayed there for days.
What I find impressive about the programming is done by the Brits, is that they are always looking for ways to innovate and collaborate on a large scale.
In 2016, Bjarke Ingels was invited to design the serpentine pavilion which is situated in the middle of Hyde Park in London. “The serpentine gallery is an icon for miniature architectural manifestos and 2/3rds of the architects who have designed the pavilion are Pritzker Prize-winning architect,” as he describes the honour it is to be chosen to design on Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design.
Now, we are lucky to have the opportunity to have this structure in our very own backyard. It’s not every day we get to this type of experience. Like most high profile exhibitions, this one is timed and although it seems you can just ‘walk off the street’ you have to buy tickets to see it.
The interior programming of the space has been changed from a bar/performance area to an exhibition space that allows the visitor to learn more about the architect and the proposed condo that is to curtain the street. This was the first time I was aware that we were to have a BIG building in Toronto and immediately registered. Finally, a building that reflects the type of lifestyle I want to live in that is not a ‘glass tower’.
As you approach the entrance to the pavilion, the cavernous form invites you into the structure where you are invited into the mind of Bjarke Ingels. The movement created by the fiberglass grid-like skeleton almost expands and contracts as if it is breathing as you explore and discover the many projects by BIG architects. As grandiose as it appears, it is a very intimate space and when you look up, the ‘unzipped’ feeling emerges. When you exit and get the chance to walk around the pavilion, the shape undulates to mimic a rolling hill and false natural landscape within the dense fabric is it located in.
What can I say, I’m a fan and can’t wait for us to have a truly, unique and innovative building in Toronto.
Richelle Sibolboro 