serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
© herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
image © 2012 iwan baan
presented as part of the london 2012 festival, the 12th serpentine gallery by swiss architects herzog & de meuron and
beijing-based ai weiwei is now complete. a plane of water is now floating above the lawn of the serpentine gallery in london, england, inviting visitors to pass beneath it and observe the recently exposed components of the past structures. eleven columns representing each of the previous editions elevate the roof plane 1.4 meters from the excavated ground while an additional support stands for the current construct.
encouraging visitors to delve under the surface, this archeological experience transports them back in time as they
lounge within the interior. cork lines the surfaces of the stepped ground plane and seating to generate a warm location
for repose. during the summer, the venue will host public talks and events during 'park nights' until october 14, 2012.

serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
© herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
image © 2012 iwan baan
'all of these foundations will now be uncovered and reconstructed. the old foundations form a jumble of convoluted lines, like a sewing pattern. a distinctive landscape emerges out of the reconstructed foundations which is unlike anything we could have invented; its form and shape is actually a serendipitous gift. the three-dimensional reality of this landscape is astonishing and it is also the perfect place to sit, stand, lie down or just look and be amazed. in other words, the ideal environment for continuing to do what visitors have been doing in the serpentine gallery pavilions over the past eleven years – and a discovery for the many new visitors anticipated for the london 2012 olympic games.' - herzog & de meuron + ai weiwei

serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
© herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
image © 2012 iwan baan
see designboom's initial coverage of the pavilion's design and unveiling.

serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
© herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
image © 2012 iwan baan

serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
© herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei
image © 2012 iwan baan

serpentine gallery pavilion 2012
designed by herzog & de meuron & ai weiwei
© 2012, by herzog & de meuron and ai weiwei

© Daniel Portilla
Starting tomorrow, the 12th version of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion will be open at the Hyde Park in London. As we announced some months ago, the design was commissioned to Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. The final proposal was published just at the beginning of this month, showing an interesting ground work. This year’s pavilion is half sunk into the landscape, as if it were carved in the terrain and covered with a liquid layer, reflecting the the surrounding light and landscape.
   
More info and images after the break This year’s Pavilion will take visitors beneath the Serpentine’s lawn to explore the hidden history of its previous Pavilions. Eleven columns characterising each past  Pavilion and a twelfth column will support a floating platform roof 1.5 metres above  ground. Taking an archaeological approach, the architects have created a design that will inspire visitors to look beneath the surface of the park as well as back in time across the ghosts of the earlier structures. Julia Peyton-Jones, Director, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director, Serpentine Gallery, said: “It is a great honour to be working with Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. We are delighted that our annual commission will bring this unique architectural collaboration to Europe to mark the continuity between the Beijing 2008 and the London 2012 Games.” The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion will operate as a public space and as a venue for Park Nights, the Gallery’s high-profile programme of public talks and events. Connecting to the archaeological focus of the Pavilion design Park Nights will culminate in October with the Serpentine Gallery Memory Marathon, the latest edition of the annual Serpentine Marathon series conceived by Hans Ulrich Obrist, now in its seventh year. The Marathon series began in 2006 with the 24-hour Serpentine Gallery Interview Marathon; followed by theExperiment Marathon in 2007; the Manifesto Marathon in 2008; the Poetry Marathon in 2009, the Map Marathon in 2010 and theGarden Marathon in 2011.