Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA

The 2009 Pavilion was designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of leading Japanese architecture practice SANAA.

Describing their structure the architects, Sejima and Nishizawa, said: “The Pavilion is floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. It works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing uninterrupted views across the park and encouraging access from all sides.”

Sejima and Nishizawa created a stunning Pavilion that resembled a reflective cloud or a floating pool of water, sitting atop a series of delicate columns. The metal roof structure varied in height, wrapping itself around the trees in the park, reaching up towards the sky and sweeping down almost to the ground in various places. Open and ephemeral in structure, its reflective materials made it sit seamlessly within the natural environment, reflecting both the park and sky around it.