Designed by Francis Kéré, the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion is conceived as a microcosmos – a community structure within Kensington Gardens that fuses cultural references of the architect’s home country Burkina Faso with experimental construction techniques. The project takes inspiration in the tree as a place where people gather together, where everyday activities play out under the shade of its branches. The design for the Serpentine Pavilion has a great over-hanging roof canopy made of steel and a transparent skin covering the structure, which allows sunlight to enter the space while also protecting it from the rain. Wooden shading elements line the underside of the roof to create a dynamic shadow effect on the interior spaces.





