Serpentine Gallery Pavilions: Annual Architectural Commissions and Public Programmes
The centrepiece of the design for the 2006 Pavilion was a spectacular ovoid-shaped inflatable canopy that floated above the Gallery’s lawn. Made from translucent material, the canopy was raised into the air or lowered to cover the amphitheatre below according to the weather. A frieze designed by Thomas Demand marked the first collaboration between an artist and the designers of the Pavilion. The walled enclosure below the canopy functioned both as a café and forum for public programmes.