Monday, July 11, 2011

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011


Serpentine Gallery
Pavilion designed by: Peter Zumthor
(Kensington Gardens)

Another reason for strolling through Kensington Gardens this summer is this small unassuming black building. This concept is the 11th pavilion that has been commissioned by the Serpentine Gallery.
Here the Swiss Architect Peter Zumthor, who is known for putting gardens back into the center of buildings, has collaborated with the Dutch Garden designer Piet Oudolf.




'A garden is the most intimate landscape ensemble I know of. It is close to us. There we cultivate the plants we need. A garden requires care and protection. And so we encircle it, we defend it and fend for it. We give it shelter. The garden turns into a place.
Enclosed gardens fascinate me. A forerunner of this fascination is my love of the fenced vegetable gardens on farms in the Alps, where farmers’ wives often planted flowers as well. I love the image of these small rectangles cut out of vast alpine meadows, the fence keeping the animals out. There is something else that strikes me in this image of a garden fenced off within the larger landscape around it: something small has found sanctuary within something big.
The hortus conclusus that I dream of is enclosed all around and open to the sky. Every time I imagine a garden in an architectural setting, it turns into a magical place. I think of gardens that I have seen, that I believe I have seen, that I long to see, surrounded by simple walls, columns, arcades or the façades of buildings – sheltered places of great intimacy where I want to stay for a long time.'
Peter Zumthor


Get a coffee at the small coffee stand behind the building, bring a book and breathe out!

With Love Kristin 

14 comments:

  1. I loved these words, they are in my head now. Precious photos, Kristin!

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  2. pretty writing :) i'm trying to create a cool little garden on my balcony!

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  3. Nice post, Kristin, thanks for taking us with you! I love contained space.

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  4. A really lovely garden, love the idea
    Claudia xo

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  5. An enclosed garden is lovely to look at.

    But coffee or wine tables looking onto an enclosed garden is my idea of heaven.

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  6. Nice place and post ;)

    In the North of France, I like Saint Valery sur Somme, in the Baie de Somme.

    Have a Nice summer
    Ötli

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  7. Thanks for such a lovely post - really pretty images. I've just discovered your blog - really love it! Hope to hear more from you!

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  8. beautiful! i've love to do exactly what you say at the end here :)

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  9. my garden is not that beautiful but is a place where i feel quite and peacfull and i love it to peaces : )

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  10. What a brilliant concept...I'd love to spend an afternoon there:) Have a fantastic day, my dear
    Kisses

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  11. i adore enclosed gardens. piazzas, city enclaves. right from the old Roman enclosures to the present day.

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  12. .... My idea of heaven as well:)

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