© Iwan Baan
Kunlé Adeyemi designed one of the Summer House as part of the new additions of the Serpentine’s Architecture Programme 2016. The designs for the Pavilion and Summer Houses consider the relationships between each of the five structures, the Serpentine Gallery building and the landscape of Kensington Gardens.
Serpentine Summer House by NLÉ technical information
- Architects : Kunlé Adeyemi – NLÉ
- Location : London, England
- Typology : Cultural Architecture / Installation
- Project Year: 2016
- Client : Serpentine Galleries
- Team : Kunlé Adeyemi, Marco Cestarolli, Karien Hofhuis, Michele Montali, Georgina Sinclair, Berend Strijland
- Collaborators : AKT II, AECOM, Stage One, Grants
- Photographs : © Iwan Baan
The design is based on projecting an inverse replica of Queen Caroline’s historic Temple – a tribute to its robust form, space and material, recomposed into a bold new sculptural object.
– Kunlé Adeyemi – NLÉ
Serpentine Summer House Photographs
© Iwan Baan
© Iwan Baan
© Iwan Baan
Kunlé Adeyemi Architect’s Statment
With a play on architecture, our design aims to fulfil the simple primary purpose of a summerhouse: a space for shelter and relaxation. The design is based on projecting an inverse replica of Queen Caroline’s historic Temple – a tribute to its robust form, space and material, recomposed into a bold new sculptural object.
By rotating the Temple’s interior void space, we expose the structure’s neo-classical plan, proportions and architectural form. Using prefabricated building blocks assembled from sandstone similar to the ones used in building the Temple, our abstracted forms come together to create a room, a doorway and a window for people to interact with the building, the environment and with one another.
By locating the Temple in the proximity of the trees, we offer an extension of the space into the landscape, providing shaded areas in their canopies and in the shadows generated by the object. The carved out void, soft interior and fragmented furniture blocks create comfortable spaces for people to eat, rest or play – in and around the house – all through the summer season.
Design plans of the Summer House
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