The 2014 Serpentine Pavilion is designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic. A semi-translucent, cylindrical structure that resembles a shell and rests on large quarry stones. It is designed as a flexible, multi-purpose social space with a café sited inside.

Radic’s design for a temporary Pavilion has its roots in the architect’s earlier work, particularly The Castle of the Selfish Giant, inspired by the Oscar Wilde story and the Restaurant Mestizo – part of which is supported by large boulders.

This publication accompanies the Pavilion and has been inspired by Radic’s sketchbooks and working process – the design of this pocket book mirroring his practice. Including a conversation between the architect, Julia Peyton-Jones and Hans Ulrich Obrist.

‘The unusual shape and sensual qualities of the Pavilion have a strong physical impact on the visitor, especially juxtaposed with the classical architecture of the Serpentine Gallery. From the outside, visitors see a fragile shell in the shape of a hoop suspended on large quarry stones. Appearing as if they had always been part of the landscape, these stones are used as supports, giving the pavilion both a physical weight and an outer structure characterised by lightness and fragility.’ – Smiljan Radic

Published on the occasion of the Serpentine Pavilion, Kensington Gardens, London, 26 June – 19 October 2014.