Another Photograph > Serpentine Pavilion

Serpentine Pavilion (1904) July 2006

Serpentine Pavilion

Slideshow
Music : Crossing The Border by Roger Eno from 'The Long Walk'
4.27 mins

It seems a large white balloon attached to a translucent polycarbonate conservatory has landed outside the Serpentine Gallery. Rem Koolhaas and Cecil Balmond, the two people who talked this space into existence, had an idea for a nearly transparent building, but material reality got in the way and they ended up with a slightly clunky and even clumsy structure. Inside this building the occasional gathering, debate, lecture and talk will possibly keep the place aloft.

Comments (Blogger Blog)
Zebigleb said... Love it really
Tony Hall said... Zebigleb, hi and thank you

(1904) Posted on 7/15/2006 10:35:55 PM . TA Comments

1. Posted by Greg on 7/15/2006 9:29:06 AM
Still I like the idea of using unique building materials that compared to brick and mortar are much lighter and possibly less impacting on the natural environment. As needs change it would be nice to have a way to swap out buildings. Conservatory one day - Tony's Ye Old Picture Pub the next day! Certainly there are quirks that make these first stabs clunky and clumsy but then again it took a while to get past mud and thatch also. Let some new architectural school of the translucent polycarbonate arise and see where it goes in 20 years!
(Got any inside pics? .-)

2. Posted by tony on 7/15/2006 10:57:29 AM
Hi Greg, I like your idea of 'swapping out' of buildings, I was talking with Doug 'photoshed' about habital structures and the idea of modular, mobile plastic buildings this afternoon - I have another site that is sort of beginning to 'imagine another view' > http://imagineanotherview.blogspot.com/ < .. the 'Shipping Container Home' and 'Carbon Tower' may interest you.
.. and I'm aiming to get some inside pavilion pics next week.

3. Posted by Roel on 7/15/2006 2:59:41 PM
give the future materials a chance,lol, and Rem coolhaas is a cool architect (Dutch)

4. Posted by twig on 7/15/2006 3:14:55 PM
Like the slideshow TH ~ Must've been there a while as the sky turned from bright blue to late dark....

5. Posted by tony on 7/15/2006 9:39:13 PM
Hi Roel, I am interested in new materials in buildings, see: http://tinyurl.com/gkaz5
In this 'experimental pavilion' Rem and Cecil had an interesting idea, but materials (plastic/polymer) don't yet exist to make the 'transparent building' they had conceived - on paper a nice idea - and in reality it was unfulfilling.

6. Posted by tony on 7/15/2006 9:40:53 PM
Hi Twig, thanks. I went back later the same day to make the night pics.

7. Posted by angie on 7/16/2006 8:43:04 AM
The colors in this shot are jumping right off the page. Love this one Tony!

8. Posted by tony on 7/16/2006 1:25:53 PM
Hi Angie, thanks and it's good to have you stop by.
I hope you manage to get round to seeing the slideshow.

9. Posted by angie on 7/16/2006 1:36:38 PM
Just did Tony!! WOW! Lots of utterly beautiful images within!

10. Posted by Melissa on 7/16/2006 3:34:17 PM
I agree with Angie - the colors really "pop" in this one. I'm going to check out the slideshow now. :)

11. Posted by tony on 7/16/2006 4:21:42 PM
Angie, I'm so pleased you managed to see the slideshow .. and liked it! I always wonder if people can see these ok (using QuickTime), and the reaction to these 'slow movies'.

12. Posted by tony on 7/16/2006 4:23:52 PM
Melissa, hi and thanks. I hope you manage to get the slideshow to work ok.

13. Posted by Maurits on 7/17/2006 2:13:09 AM
lovely ...
the slideshow is wonderful again ;-]

14. Posted by Janet on 7/17/2006 2:30:36 AM
This is the Artistic Shot of the Day.
Congratulations Tony.

15. Posted by Pook© on 7/17/2006 2:37:36 AM
this is so awesome ;) The contrast of colors is amazing :)

16. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 3:07:12 AM
Hi Maurits, thanks, and it's great that you saw the slideshow.

17. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 3:09:03 AM
Janet, thank you, ASotD - a very pleasant surprise .. did you see the slideshow?

18. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 3:10:16 AM
Hi Pook, thanks, and it's good to have you stop by.

19. Posted by blue on 7/17/2006 4:00:45 AM
Good good, Monsieur Tony! I like the white balloon thing a lot!

20. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 5:07:24 AM
Hello Blue, nice to hear from you and thanks. You must have seen this structure next to the Serpentine in Hyde Park on your wanders around London.

21. Posted by angie on 7/17/2006 3:43:23 PM
Congratz on ASOTD Tony!!!

22. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 9:40:05 PM
Angie, hi and thank you.

23. Posted by Trevor on 7/19/2006 11:17:38 AM
Hi Tony - have been browsing through all yor recent pics but found your slideshow on Spain especially relevant - and beautifully done too. Have finally got around to posting some of my images of Spain. Hope you're well and let's meet soon.

24. Posted by tony on 7/19/2006 2:32:37 PM
Hi Trevor, very good to hear from you - meet soon? - next week!? Glad you liked the 'Spain' slideshow.

Comments (Flickr | Blog)

Black Dust a.k.a. odonbd says: Nice compostion. Cool the way that the pink frame on the bottom part are glowing. And curious the way that the original project ends up.

anotherphotograph says: Hi Odon, thank you. The pink tent was a temporary stucture - there for a Yves Saint Laurent corporate event. Some formal discussions are being organised for the end of next week .. I might try and get along.

*angela* says: It's just as beautiful here Tony :)

anotherphotograph says: Angela, thanks very much. I plan to go back to this temporary pavilion and try and photograph it and think about it in a different way next time.

Comments on Slideshow (TA Moblog)

1. Posted by shirley schwab on 7/17/2006 6:09:16 AM
. Great way to start my day. Now I am off to the pool for a swim. May you enjoy it also.
Nice photos and ran smoothly

2. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 8:57:05 AM
Hi Shirley, thanks and have a soothing swim and a great day .. it's HOT in London around 30º (88º).

3. Posted by roel on 7/17/2006 10:09:24 AM
great slide show ,the reflextion pics are beautiful

4. Posted by tony on 7/17/2006 9:43:12 PM
Roel, hi and thanks very much.

5. Posted by Greg on 7/19/2006 9:04:20 AM
Bo bo bo ba bahh ... bo bo bo ba bahh... bo bo bo ba bahh - and again I get carried away to some far away place. You're good like that Tony!

6. Posted by tony on 7/19/2006 2:35:05 PM
Greg, good to have you wander through this far off place

Comments (TA | Artistic Shot of the Day)

2. Comment by The Godfather LTM Jul 17, 2006 - 5:02am
Congrats Tony !!

3. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 5:32am
Hi Pook, thank you.

4. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 5:33am
Hi The Godfather LTM, thanks

5. Comment by Greg Jul 17, 2006 - 5:49am
Oh so richly deserved Tony congradulations! Big 10! .-)

6. Comment by Joe Jul 17, 2006 - 11:45am
congrats!!

7. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 1:45pm
Greg, thanks, and thanks for the score - where does one go after 10?

8. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 1:46pm
Joe, hi and thanks

9. Comment by angie Jul 17, 2006 - 3:42pm
Congratz Tony!

10. Comment by Love Jul 17, 2006 - 5:45pm
Wonderful shot! Congrats on ASOTD!

11. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 10:06pm
Angie, hi and thanks

12. Comment by tony Jul 17, 2006 - 10:07pm
Hi Love and thank you