Click here to see the full list of Pavilion sponsors and supporters
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 has been designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of leading Japanese architecture practice SANAA. It is sponsored by NetJets Europe.
Describing their structure the architects say: 'The Pavilion is floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. The reflective canopy undulates across the site, expanding the park and sky. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. It works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing uninterrupted view across the park and encouraging access from all sides. It is a sheltered extension of the park where people can read, relax and enjoy lovely summer days.'
Sejima and Nishizawa have created a stunning Pavilion that resembles a reflective cloud or a floating pool of water, sitting atop a series of delicate columns. The metal roof structure varies in height, wrapping itself around the trees in the park, reaching up towards the sky and sweeping down almost to the ground in various places. Open and ephemeral in structure, its reflective materials make it sit seamlessly within the natural environment, reflecting both the park and sky around it.
The Pavilion will be the architects' first built structure in the UK and the ninth commission in the Gallery's annual series of Pavilions, the world's first and most ambitious architectural programme of its kind that annually gives preeminent architects their debut in this country and brings the best of contemporary architecture to London for everyone to enjoy.
There is no budget for the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission. It is paid for by sponsorship, sponsorship help-in-kind, and the sale of the finished structure through Knight Frank, which does not cover more than 40% of its cost. The Serpentine Gallery collaborates with a range of companies and individuals whose support makes it possible to realise the Pavilion.
Julia Peyton-Jones, Director, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director, Serpentine Gallery, said: 'Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa's design embraces the parkland around the Serpentine Gallery as never before with an extraordinarily innovative design, which reveals the subtle play on light and perception so characteristic of their work. This Pavilion will be a wonderful addition to London's landscape this summer. It is our dream come true.'
Separate areas within the Pavilion contain spaces for a café and an auditorium, where the Park Nights events programme will be presented, including performances, talks, film screenings and the Serpentine Gallery Poetry Marathon.
Sejima and Nishizawa's pioneering buildings have created an architecture that marries aesthetic simplicity with technical complexity, defining a new architectural language which plays with light and perception. Sought after by high-profile clients the world over, from the Louvre Museum in Lens, France, to the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, USA, SANAA's projects are open stages which make visible the connection between the built structure, the users and the natural environment. Sejima, who in her early days studied at the Japan Women's University and worked with architect Toyo Ito, designer of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in 2002, began collaborating with Nishizawa in 1995. The architects are working with the structural design and engineering firm SAPS, led by Mutsuro Sasaki, and with the Arup team, led by David Glover and Ed Clark with Cecil Balmond, to realise this project.
NetJets Europe is the title sponsor for the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009. Mark Booth, Executive Chairman, said: 'Sejima and Nishizawa's design for the Serpentine Pavilion 2009 is truly breathtaking. The incredible light and openness of the concept will make for a stunning structure, which will raise the bar even higher for the much-anticipated Pavilion. Design is an area that we're passionate about at NetJets: we're firmly focussed on how we can bring world-class design to our customers' flight experience; just as the Serpentine Pavilion brings world class architecture to London. We're delighted to be a partner in this project and are looking forward to seeing the finished Pavilion.'
Arup Partner Ed Clark commented: 'Arup's eighth year of commitment to the Serpentine Pavilion reflects our belief in the project and the positive experience our teams get from collaborating with some of the most exciting architects of our time. This year's Pavilion does not disappoint and reflects the exciting dynamism that SANAA bring to all of their projects.'
Peter Rogers, Director of Stanhope plc, will donate his expertise to all aspects of the Pavilion. He said: 'The Serpentine Pavilion is a unique project whose innovative and challenging designs transcend normal building projects as well as fusing art and architecture in an exciting built form.'
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa
Kazuyo Sejima (b. 1956, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan) studied architecture at the Japan Women's University before joining the practice of architect Toyo Ito. She launched her own practice in 1987 and was named the Japan Institute of Architects' Young Architect of the Year in Japan in 1992. In 1995, Sejima, with Ryue Nishizawa (b. 1966, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), founded the Tokyo-based firm SANAA (Sejima + Nishizawa and Associates). Nishizawa studied architecture at Yokohama National University and, in addition to his work with Sejima, has also maintained an independent practice since 1997. He holds professorships at prestigious institutions such as Yokohama National University. Sejima and Nishizawa were jointly awarded the Golden Lion at the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2004. Sejima teaches as a Visiting Professor both at Tama Art University and Keio University in Tokyo. SANAA's numerous celebrated buildings buildings include Louvre Museum in Lens, France; Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion in Toledo, Ohio, USA; the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, USA. In Japan, SANAA's work includes the N-Museum in Wakayama; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, and Dior Omotesando.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Commission
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission was conceived by Serpentine Gallery Director, Julia Peyton-Jones, in 2000. It is an ongoing programme of temporary structures by internationally acclaimed architects and designers. It is unique worldwide and presents the work of an international architect or design team who, at the time of the Serpentine Gallery's invitation, has not completed a building in England. The Pavilion architects to date are: Frank Gehry, 2008; Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen, 2007; Rem Koolhaas and Cecil Balmond, with Arup, 2006; Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura with Cecil Balmond, Arup, 2005; MVRDV with Arup, 2004 (un-realised); Oscar Niemeyer, 2003; Toyo Ito with Arup, 2002; Daniel Libeskind with Arup, 2001; and Zaha Hadid, 2000. Each Pavilion is sited on the Gallery's lawn for three months and the immediacy of the process - a maximum of six months from invitation to completion - provides a peerless model for commissioning architecture.
Park Nights, the Gallery's acclaimed programme of public talks and events, will take place in Sejima and Nishizawa's Pavilion, and will culminate in the annual Marathon event that takes place in October. In 2006 the Park Nights programme included the now legendary 24-hour Serpentine Gallery Interview Marathon, convened by Hans Ulrich Obrist and architect Rem Koolhaas, which was followed, in 2007, by the Serpentine Gallery Experiment Marathon presented by artist Olafur Eliasson and Obrist, which featured experiments performed by leading artists and scientists. In 2008, Obrist led over 60 participants in the Serpentine Gallery Manifesto Marathon.
Sponsors and Supporters
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is, both artistically and financially, a hugely ambitious undertaking. The construction and realisation of the Pavilion relies entirely on the support of a significant group of companies and individuals:
Title Sponsor
NetJets Europe was founded in 1996 and today is the largest business jet company in Europe. As the only pan-European operator with its own fleet, NetJets Europe, through NetJets Transportes Aéreos (NTA), is uniquely capable of delivering a consistent, world-class service with an unparalleled commitment to safety and security. NTA is the only dedicated business jet operator to be awarded the IOSA certificate - the highest safety accreditation in the world. In 2008, the NetJets Europe 164-strong fleet flew to 123 countries. NetJets Europe employs a total workforce of more than 1890. NetJets Europe is the marketing agent of NetJets Transportes Aéreos S.A., an EU air carrier.
2009 marks NetJets Europe's second year as headline sponsor of the Serpentine Pavilion. The company has a long history of involvement in the arts and design world, most recently recruiting Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Lord Norman Foster, to design its newest and most technologically advanced aircraft, the NetJets Falcon 7X. NetJets also supports Art Basel and TEFAF, two of the world's leading art fairs. www.netjetseurope.com
Advisors
Arup is the creative force behind many of the world's most innovative projects, bringing together an unrivalled range of technical, design, creative and management skills. For the past eight years Arup has collaborated with a range of the world-renowned architects to design exceptional Pavilions for the public to enjoy on the lawn of the Serpentine Gallery. www.arup.com
Stanhope plc is an inventive developer creating exceptional places in London and the South East. Stanhope plc is proud to support the Serpentine Gallery as one of London's most uplifting and inspiring spaces. Since 2001, Peter Rogers, Director of Stanhope plc, has donated his expertise to all aspects of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions and he continues to play a major role. www.stanhopeplc.com
Platinum Sponsors
Mace Group is an international consultancy and construction firm with a £580m turnover in 2008, employing 2,900 people and operating across 35 countries. The group's core business is project and construction management but it is truly multi-disciplinary with services spanning the entire property life cycle. The company's head office is in London, with UK offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Hertford, Leeds and Manchester, and international operations throughout Europe, East Africa, Russia and the CIS states, the Middle East and Asia. www.macegroup.com
Gold Sponsors
Weil, Gotshal & Manges is a leader in the marketplace for sophisticated, international legal services. With more than 1,200 lawyers across the US, Europe and Asia, the firm serves many of the most successful companies in the world in their high-stakes matters and transactions.
Weil Gotshal has built a world-class team of lawyers by pursuing a strategy of steady, purposeful growth. The firm is particularly noted for its expertise in corporate governance, business restructuring and private equity and now has leading lawyers based in London and around the globe.
www.weil.com
Silver Sponsors
Asysco is one of Europe's foremost providers of integrated audio visual and video conferencing solutions. With unparalleled engineering, technical and support capability, Asysco has a global reach that spans various market sectors, including corporate, government, high-end residential, hotel, leisure and educational institutions. www.asysco.co.uk
Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank and its New York-based global partner Newmark Knight Frank operate from over 165 offices, in 36 countries, in six continents. For further information about the company, please visit www.knightfrank.com
Perspex Distribution offer unique access to many plastic sheet products including Perspex® cast acrylic, used to screen the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Derived from the Latin 'to see through', Perspex is the UK's foremost plastics property and has been produced in the UK from source since 1934 - for 75 years. www.perspexdistribution.com
Stage One has diverse manufacturing capabilities, including specialist skills in the fabrication of structures using advanced composite sandwich panels and fibre reinforced polymer composites. Engineering innovation and an in-depth understanding of a broad range of materials combine to help clients achieve maximum creative freedom, whether they are leading designers in the worlds of architecture, bespoke furniture, sculpture or live performance. Please visit www.stageone.co.uk
Vitra designs and manufactures sought-after contemporary furniture and authorised original mid-century classics. Vitra's commitment to quality, longevity and cutting-edge designs is evident in its investment in architecture, design and innovation. The Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, will soon see the completion of a new building designed by SANAA which will sit alongside others by Ando, Gehry, Grimshaw, Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron and Siza. The lasting design quality of Vitra's products are appreciated by design professionals throughout the world and it is an honour that this is recognised in the selection by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the SIM chair by Jasper Morrison. www.vitra.com
Bronze Sponsors
Davis Langdon is a global construction consultancy, providing managed solutions for clients investing in infrastructure, property and construction. Globally, the firm has over 5000 people in some 105 offices, including over 2000 people in some 30 offices throughout Europe and the Middle East. Since 2001 Davis Langdon has contributed to the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions by advising on budget control, managing time and risk, and assuring delivery of value. www.davislangdon.com
For the sixth year, DP9 will provide essential town planning assistance with all aspects of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion planning application to Westminster City Council. www.dp9.co.uk
Elliott Thomas is one of the leading site logistics providers in the UK. Our core services include Logistics, Pre-construction, Security, Hoists and Construction. Elliott Thomas provides unique, cost-effective and innovative solutions, delivering best value and best practice. Elliott Thomas is proud to have been working in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery. www.elliott-thomas.co.uk
Ethos Recycling is an environmentally friendly provider of waste management services with a 90% recycling rate. We operate from two recycling centres (Uxbridge and Barking) and service the South of England. We offer the following services: Skip hire, rollonoff hire and wheeled bin collection / Earthworks (Muck away) / Land regeneration / Disposal of clinical waste. Within the Ethos Group of companies, we also provide a gasification and pyrolysis technology (Ethos Energy). Ethos Recycling is proud to be a sponsor of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009. Ethos Recycling will provide skips and recycle at least 90% of the waste produced during the duration of the project, making it an even greener project. www.ethosrecycling.co.uk
Le Petit Jardin is a small, independent garden and homeware shop specialising in beautiful products to provide the discerning shopper a range not generally found on the high street, including the stunning range of metal outdoor furniture available in 24 colours from Fermob, the French designer and manufacturer of furniture that like gardens that like colours. www.fermob.com www.le-petit-jardin.com
Floorscreed Ltd is an established Screeding, Latex and Resin Coating company, working on prestige projects such as the Savoy Hotel, Millennium Dome, Natwest Tower and the BBC Studio's in partnership with contractors such as Skanska, Kier Southern and Apollo. We are delighted to have been able to contribute to such a monumentous project such as the Serpentine Gallery, and hope that our efforts will be enjoyed by all who visit.
Flos was honoured to be invited to provide its Glo Ball light fittings, designed by Jasper Morrison, to illuminate the 2009 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion designed by Ryue Nishizawa and Kazugo Sejima.
The pure and sophisticated design of the lights will create a harmonious synergy with the flowing lines of the pavilion. www.flos.com
Graphic Image Solutions Ltd is a graphic production company, specialising in interior graphic solutions, using superior finishing techniques. GIS hold close relations to the worlds finest film manufacturers, ensuring that all products we offer are tried and tested to the highest standard, giving you a premium quality product at all times. Our unbiased opinion on the best products available, enables us to meet targets on both quality and budget. From concept design, product innovation and brand awareness, you'll find your solution with Graphic Image Solutions. Graphic Image Solutions were please to be able to install manifestation to the large perspex screens at The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, to ensure the exhibition complied with health and safety regulation.
www.graphicis.co.uk
GTL Partnership Ltd - Innovation below GroundTM is a market leading international foundation solutions company which specialises in screwpile technology. GTL has an acknowledged reputation for innovation, quality and performance. GTL is proud to announce its sponsored involvement in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009. GTL will design, supply and install a foundation solution for Kazuyo Sejima and Rue Nishizawa's first built project in England. www.gtl-partnership.com
As one of Britain's leading landscaping companies, Hasmead's have successfully completed some of the largest landscape contracts in the country. We are very pleased to be associated with the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion through the supply of trees from our subsidiary, Premier Trees, which supply semi-mature trees throughout the UK. www.hasmead.com
J Coffey Construction Ltd is a locally based Trade Package Contractor specialising in Groundwork, Concrete and Builderswork packages with a turnover of £20m in 2008. J Coffey's are delighted to confirm their sponsored involvement in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 project by carrying out the foundation works for the scheme. www.jcoffey.co.uk
John Doyle Group provides specialist services in high-quality concrete structure, interior fit out, construction and plant hire. This is the sixth year that John Doyle Group will have supported the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. www.john-doyle.co.uk
Lend Lease Projects is part of the Lend Lease corporation, one of the world's leading project mangement and construction services companies. We take a pride in forming close associations with our clients and delivering a quality, timely and attentive service and promoting our culture of 'Incident and Injury Free'. Our design safety team is extremely pleased to have once again been appointed as the CDM Co-ordinator for the project. www.lendlease.com
Nextmaruni is a project that was started in 2004, promoted by Maruni Wood Industry (Hiroshima, Japan) and aimed at producing 'global chairs which have been born from the Japanese mind'. We have collaborated with world-renowned designers in the production of wooden chairs, with our traditional skill. We are honoured that our chair designed by SANAA is part of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 project. www.nextmaruni.com
Phoenix Electrical Company Limited would like to contribute to the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion project both in support of our valued customers, Stanhope and Mace, and also to give something back to the people of London where Phoenix has successfully traded since 1930. www.phoenixelectrical.co.uk
Ronacrete is an internationally recognised manufacturer of high quality, high performance products and systems. With on-site R&D and technical, sales and marketing support, Ronacrete provides expertise in the specialist market sectors of Cementitious Flooring, Decorative & Slip Resistant Resin Flooring, Concrete Repairs, Waterproofing, Bedding & Bonding, Hard Landscaping, Highway maintenance, anti graffiti and Safety Flooring solutions.
www.ronacrete.co.uk
Providing land surveying and setting out services to prestigious projects nationwide, SES is able to meet clients' requirements for all surveying disciplines within the property and construction industries. www.sesltd.uk.com
Swift Horsman is one of the UK's most successful specialist contractors supplying innovative solutions to the construction industry. We provide prefabricated/off-site technologies, fitout and specialist joinery solutions for the UK's leading developers, clients, architects and contractors. Swift Horsman are delighted to be supporting the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions by undertaking the joinery for the project. www.swifthorsman.co.uk
WE-EF are manufacturers of exterior lighting, merging technical performance with functional design. We create luminaires that provide effective and innovative solutions for architectural lighting challenges worldwide. Designed and developed to international standards, WE-EF's operation - from luminaire design through to the production process and subsequent application - is based on the principle of longevity. Each step carries with it the responsibility of environmental protection with the most effective use of resources. www.we-ef.com
Established in 1973 Wingate remains the UK's largest provider of Construction Site Temporary Electrical, Plumbing and Drainage systems. They design, supply, install, maintain, test and finally remove installations on completion of a project. www.wingate.co.uk
SANAA in Sydney, Australia
From the 3 July - 26 September 2009 Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa will create an architectural intervention at the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation in Sydney, Australia. Traversing the borders of art, design and architecture, SANAA's elegant installation is a translucent and refined curvilinear acrylic wall that meanders through the entire gallery creating and articulating a sense of interior/exterior space.
Kazuyo Sejima describes the installation, 'as an organic acrylic labyrinth weaving through the space. A new kind of transparency is established, softly reflecting the people moving within.'
For more information visit: www.sherman-scaf.org.au
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009
Designed by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
© 2009 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Photograph: Iwan Baan
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009
Designed by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
© 2009 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Photograph: Iwan Baan
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009
Designed by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
© 2009 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Photograph: Iwan Baan
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA
Photograph © Nick Guttridge/VIEW
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA
Photograph © James Newton/VIEW
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA.
Photograph © Edmund Sumner/VIEW
Zollverein School of Management and Design, Essen, Germany
© Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa
of SANAA
New Museum, New York
Photograph Dean Kaufman
© Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA
Kazuyo Sejima (right) and Ryue Nishizawa (left)
© 2008 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Photograph © Takashi Okamoto
