Summer Pavilion Serpentine Gallery 2011 by Peter Zumthor

The eleventh summer pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery in the midst of Kensington Gardens was designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, whose intention was to pull Londoners away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and offer them a place for rest and contemplation. The pavilion will consist of a black wooden enclosure, inside which will be a blooming garden by Dutch designer Piet Oudolf. Visitors will be able to stroll around the garden under a covered walkway and sit on long blue benches. The black wooden shell of the pavilion will be treated with a special finish: a timber frame coated with a black paste mixed with sand.
Peter Zumthor adds to his design of the enclosed garden: "The pavilion's structure serves as a frame, a backdrop for the garden lying within. The visitor comes from darkness, from blackness, and enters a place that is perfectly protected from various noises, traffic, and the smell of London – a place where one can sit, walk, and observe. It will be an intense and unforgettable experience, much like the materials used: full of memory and time."
The summer pavilion will stand in Kensington Gardens from July to September.

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