Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

(National Geographic (Little) Kids) #1

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion


Architect Toyo Ito


Engineers and lighting designers Arup


Client Serpentine Gallery


The Pavilion in Kensington Gardens designed
by Toyo Ito, can hardly be described as an
exercise in daylighting design; however it has
been included in the Case Studies, as daylight
has clearly informed the architect’s entire
design. Perhaps the building is best described
as an ‘abstract work of art.’
The building is the third in a series of
galleries commissioned to provide a unique
showcase for contemporary architectural
practice, following works by Zaha Hadid, and
Daniel Libeskind, to design a pavilion for the
gallery’s lawn.
The purpose of the building was basically a
restaurant during the day, and it is most
successful in this, with views out on to
Kensington Gardens, in which there is no
need for artificial lighting.
In the evening the building is described by
the sponsors as playing host to a special
programme of summer events, architectural
talks, film screenings and the BBC poetry
proms, all requiring little or no artificial
lighting. It can therefore be said that this
project is entirely naturally lit. It is equally
important to recognize that it is an ephemeral
building, a ‘statement’ intended to be replaced
the following year; it therefore required none
of the limitations of having to withstand the
test over time.
Since it would be difficult, if not impossible,
to describe the pavilion adequately in words,
it is best described in a series of photographs,
which indicate the quality of the space, and
the way in which it interacts on its
surroundings in the park.

154 Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture


Exterior with entrance steps

The wall and roof plans


Arup

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