Gallery goes undercover

Internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid has created a dramatic temporary structure for the Serpentine Gallery’s 30th anniversary gala dinner, which takes place in London’s Hyde Park on Tuesday night.

Reinventing the traditional concept of a tent or marquee, the Iraqi architect has designed a triangulated roof construction spanning an internal space of 600m2, using a steel primary structure. A folding form of angular planes, extending to the ground at several points, produces an illusion of solidity while simultaneously creating a variety of internal spaces.

‘These undulations are further exploited by the positioning of lighting between the two roof fabrics, which incur gradual changes over time in the emphasis of the planes,’ explains project manager Jim Heverin. ‘The internal ground plane is occupied by a field of tables which emphasise a movement through the space, where the tables are colour-graduated from white to black to reinforce this sense of movement dissipating through the tent.’

Visitors will be able to view Hadid’s structure from the gallery’s lawn from Monday until Thursday, with the interior open to the public between 2-5pm on the final day.

Client: Serpentine Gallery

Designer: Zaha Hadid

Project consultant: Eric Gabriel

Lighting design: Maurice Brill

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