serpentine galleries announces BIG as next designers of 2016 pavilion

serpentine galleries announces BIG as next architects of 2016 pavilion
image courtesy of bjarke ingels group

the 2016 serpentine galleries pavilion will be designed by bjarke ingels group (BIG). together with the announcement of the 16th pavilion, the institution is also introducing a significant expansion by commissioning four architects to each design a 25 square meter summer house. these four structures will be designed by kunlé adeyemi, barkow leibinger, yona friedman and asif khan.

the selection of architects, chosen for consistently extending the boundaries of architecture, is led by the serpentine’s core curatorial thinking — introducing contemporary artists and architects to a wider audience. BIG’s brief is to design a 300 square meter pavilion that will be used as a café by day and a forum for learning, debate and entertainment at night. serpentine galleries will be partnering with harrods for the pavilion’s café. the expanded program will be submitted to local authorities for planning permission later this month.

founder bjarke ingels of BIG architects
image courtesy of jonas bie

‘after 15 years, the pavilion program has expanded,’ explains julia peyton-jones, director and hans ulrich obrist, co-director serpentine galleries. ‘it now comprises five structures, each designed by an architect of international renown, aged between 36 and 93. the pavilion, which will be situated on the lawn of the serpentine gallery, as usual, will be joined by four 25 square meter summer houses designed in response to queen caroline’s temple, a classical-style summer house built in 1734. all projects have been thrilling to commission and will be equally exciting to realize. we cannot wait to unveil them all this summer.’

stay tuned for designboom’s further coverage of the 2016 pavilion, and see each of the previous 15 structures to grace london’s kensington gardens below, and see our previous coverage here.

the design forms the 15th incarnation of the world-renowned series
serpentine pavilion designed by selgascano 2015 / photograph © iwan baan