The Serpentine Gallery’s Doughnut Lands in Kensington Gardens

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2014 designed by Smiljan Radić, Photograph
© 2014 Iwan Baan

Unveiled this morning, the Serpentine Gallery’s latest pavilion has already been nicknamed “the doughnut” by the BBC. The ring-shaped, semi-translucent structure rests on a series of rough-hewn boulders and comes courtesy of the Chilean experimental architect Smiljan Radić.

Radić’s is the Serpentine’s 14th pavilion. It’s the latest in a series of annual architecture commissions spearheaded by the Serpentine, that in the past has  featured temporary buildings by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Peter Zumthor, and Oscar Niemeyer.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2014 designed by Smiljan Radić, Photograph
© 2014 Iwan Baan

The choice of the relatively obscure Radić shows a shift in the Serpentine’s approach, which seems increasingly inclined to embrace practitioners at the cutting-edge of the discipline, after more than a decade celebrating starchitects.

Spreading over 350 square meters, the pavilion is to remain in place for four months and will host a series of performances and events as part of the gallery’s Park Nights program.