Serpentine Pavilion: Multifunctional Concept Space Leaves London for the First Time

Tom Arnstein | Jul 27, 2018 9:00 am | Add a comment | 1981 reads

Originally founded in 2000, the Serpentine Pavilion has been a mainstay of central London’s Hyde Park and was conceived as a means to bring light to architects yet to have completed buildings elsewhere in England. The project also emphasizes interaction, and with the arrival of each summer, a new structure is unveiled that is free for the public to visit, explore, and co-opt for its three-month existence. The project’s name comes from the nearby Serpentine Lake – itself created on the behest of Queen Caroline in 1730 – and has previously been headed by such renowned architects as Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, and Ai Weiwei. Now, for the first time in its 18-year history, the Serpentine Pavilion has flown British shores and landed in the central outdoor courtyard of Wangfujing’s WF Central.

Beijing’s rendition, open until the end of October, was overseen by Chengdu’s Liu Jiakun, an architect most notable for his hometown’s sprawling and partly elevated West Village project, a labyrinthine collection of public parks, basketball courts, and alcoves for mahjong, chess, or simply an afternoon chat. In that regard, Liu’s buildings, which stresses the modest ebb of daily life through functionality, makes him the perfect candidate for this practice in utilitarianism. The Pavilion itself reflects Liu’s previous work with concrete and iron, making for a modest but powerful overarching wave constructed from 38 metal hook-like beams that are connected and embossed with industrial-grade bolts. Tension is created by metal cables that pull each bow-like arch taut, giving a muscular kineticism to the otherwise stark base of steel girders and concrete slabs. The result is a partially enclosed edifice that feels like it may catapult skyward at any moment.

Though compelling and refreshing in its simplicity and the rejection of the gaudiness of its surroundings, the project’s true potential lies in the events that it will play home to in the coming months. In that regard, the (poorly publicized) schedule has yet to live up to its original London-based counterpart. So far, only a smattering of musical performances, panel talks, and film showings have graced the stage, and upon the day of our visit, the planned talk had the bad fortune of coinciding with a rare Beijing shower, forcing the proceedings to move inside to WF Central making for a suitably British affair. Let’s hope that as the summer draws on, the Pavilion’s mission for community enrichment can reach its true potential, opening the way for similar projects in the capital in the future.

Serpentine Pavilion (WF Central)
Open for scheduled events. WF Central (west courtyard), 269 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街269号王府中环（西侧广场）