The Serpentine Pavilion, a summer staple in Kensington Gardens, has once again transformed into a captivating architectural masterpiece. This year, the honor goes to Lanza Atelier, a Mexico City-based studio, whose design is a delightful twist on a familiar material: brick. The result? A crinkle-crankle wall, a playful take on a traditional structure, that not only challenges our perceptions but also offers a sustainable and innovative approach to architecture.
What makes this project particularly fascinating is the studio's approach to a seemingly mundane material. Lanza Atelier has taken the humble brick and given it a new lease of life, transforming it into a work of art. The crinkle-crankle wall, named for its undulating, snake-like appearance, is a nod to the Dutch engineers who introduced these walls to drain the marshes of the Fens in the 17th century. But it's also a nod to the ancient Egyptians and a mathematical concept of sinusoidal curves.
In my opinion, this design is a brilliant example of how architecture can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The crinkle-crankle wall not only provides stability and resists lateral forces but also catches the sun, generating warmth for fruit trees and extending the growing season. This is a clever use of space and a subtle way to enhance the environment.
What many people don't realize is the potential for brick to be a versatile and sustainable material. Lanza Atelier's design challenges the notion that brick is too permanent for a temporary structure. By using standard-sized bricks and setting them without mortar joints, they've created a structure that is easy to dismantle, minimizing waste and damage.
The design also pays homage to the surrounding area, with its weathered red brickwork echoing the Serpentine South Gallery and the Victorian mansion blocks of South Kensington. Lanza Atelier's use of brick as a building block, a material that has been used for millennia and still fits into a human hand, is a powerful statement. It sparks curiosity and makes people enjoy the architecture more, as Frank Lloyd Wright famously said, "A brick is a small, ordinary, worthless thing that costs 11 cents, but give me a brick and it becomes worth its weight in gold."
This Serpentine Pavilion is a testament to the power of innovation and the potential for architecture to surprise and delight. It challenges our perceptions of what a wall can be and how a material can be used. Lanza Atelier's design is a refreshing take on a traditional material, and I believe it will leave a lasting impression on visitors to Kensington Gardens.
