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Another summer, another pavilion on the lawn of the Serpentine Gallery, this year by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, who has significant national projects and multiple awards under her belt

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Words by Chloe Pelas

Serpentine Pavilion 2018
Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens, London
15 June – 7 October

In 2006 architect Frida Escobedo founded her practice in Mexico City, and even now is the youngest architect to be commissioned to design a temporary pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery lawn. With significant national projects and multiple awards to her name, Escobedo’s work is praised for its dynamism and ability to revive urban spaces.

For her pavilion, Escobedo fuses the domestic architecture of Mexico with British materials and history. Comprising two rectangular volumes, the axis of the enclosed courtyard aligns directly with North. Internal courtyards observe a traditional element of Mexican architecture while the angle at which the pavilion is poised pays homage to the Prime Meridian at Greenwich. Escobedo’s pavilion will chart the natural movement of light and shadow during the day with mirrored panels occupying the curved underside of the canopy and a triangular pool cast into its floor. These refractive elements allow for the interplay of light, water and geometry, creating a timepiece that traces the passage of the day.

Escobedo will construct her work using British-made materials selected for their dark tones and heavy textures. These will be complemented by a common element of Mexican architecture, a celosia. The traditional internal patio will disperse the view out into Kensington Gardens, forming a vibrant mirage of blues and greens from the inside.