The twelfth, and what promises to be the most daring Serpentine Pavillion, worthy of the Olympic limelight, will be designed by the Beijing 2008 “dream team” made up of the archistars Herzog & De Meuron and the popular Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Indeed, after the success of the RIBA Lubetkin Prize winning “Bird's Nest” Beijing 2008 Olympic stadium, the archistars and artist team up again to design the next Serpentine Gallery pavilion in London' Hyde Park.
The tried and trusted team will, however, work for the first time in the UK with an unusual and rather complex structure: the designers have announced that they want to look back over the history of the previous pavilions and create an underground structure with eleven columns representing the past and the twelfth column supporting a floating platform roof 1.5 metres above the ground symbolising this year's edition.
The famous engineering office Arup will be collaborating in this innovative, yet certainly problematic project.
The early designs have yet to be revealed, but the intentions of the famous team is to invite the visitors to an archaeological approach which will reach the groundwater. This already gives an idea of the work to be performed.
As mentioned, the twelfth pavilion, although completely different in appearance, will re-evoke those of the past, amongst which: last year's Peter Zumthor structure and before that those of Jean Nouvel, Japanese architects SANAA and Frank Gehry.
This London summer cultural event, which this year coincides with the London 2012 Olympics, will also include a major exhibition of the work of Yoko Ono in the Serpentine Gallery alongside the pavilion.
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