CGI of the 2020 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Counterspace
Aecom has landed a role to engineer the Serpentine Pavilion in London for the eighth year running.
The firm’s technical team will work together with Counterspace, a Johannesburg-based, all-woman collaborative architectural studio, which has been selected by to design the temporary pavilion on the Serpentine Gallery’s lawn in Kensington Gardens.
Technical advisor David Glover and the project’s contractor Stage One will transform the architect’s concept into a high-quality public space.
Counterspace’s design will be based on gathering spaces, including community areas around the city. The Pavilion is set to be constructed from a variety of environmentally friendly materials including custom-made ‘brick’ modules, which are made from 90% recycled construction and demolition waste. These are manufactured without firing and contribute just a tenth of the carbon emissions of normal bricks. Another key material that will be used is cork.
Madalina Taylor, senior engineer at Aecom, said: “This year’s design celebrates gathering spaces, which resonates with Aecom’s vision to create opportunities and legacies for communities. With complex designs and time constraints, this challenging yet rewarding project once again brings together a tight knit collaborative team of designers and constructors. Alongside gathering spaces and community areas, Counterspace’s ambitious design will also ensure sustainability is at the core of all decision making. This is an exciting opportunity to showcase cutting edge research to an industry looking to reduce its environmental impact.”
Every year since 2000, the Serpentine Pavilion commission has featured both emerging and established international architects who have not yet completed a building in the UK at the time of invitation. Zaha Hadid was the first architect selected to present her design in the year 2000. The Serpentine Pavilion by Counterspace will be open to the public in June.
