Temporary Pavilion By Zumthor Opens in London

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011, Designed by Peter Zumthor, © Peter Zumthor, Photograph: John Offenbach

Swiss architect Peter Zumthor’s installation of a temporary outdoor pavilion opens to the public today at the Serpentine Gallery in London. His design consists of austere gray walls with staggered points of entry—forcing visitors to prolong their procession as they weave through the narrow and dark passageways leading to the interior. At the center of the pavilion—invisible from the exterior—is an elaborate garden designed by Piet Oudolf, the landscape artist who worked on the High Line in New York and the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in Chicago.

Zumthor’s design is based on the concept of “a contemplative room” in the midst of urban sprawl. Drawing on iconic monastic architecture, Zumthor’s program calls for the creation of a calming space that provides a respite from the chaos of city life.

For the past 11 years, the Serpentine Gallery has contracted architectural luminaries—including Jean Nouvel (2010), Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima (2009), and Frank Gehry (2008)—to design seasonal pavilions that have been the setting for talks, music, theater, and other cultural activities. Though the selected architects are some of the most decorated in the field, only those who have never completed a structure in England qualify.

Zumthor’s installation is open to the public from July 1 to October 16.