Glass, polycarbonate and fabric structures create a flexible system of interior and exterior spaces. Around the Pavilion, Nouvel has created spaces for outdoor enjoyment and play, bringing the tradition of French civic parks to London. Red table tennis tables, draughts, chess, frisbees and kites are available for the public to play with throughout the summer months.
As Samantha Hardingham argues in her essay published in this catalogue, the 2010 Pavilion - with its flexible spaces and emphasis on games and play - also resonates with the (unrealized) Fun Palace, an interdisciplinary space designed by visionary architect Cedric Price in 1960-61 as a 'laboratory of fun'.
This catalogue is published on the occasion of the Serpentine Pavilion 2010 designed by Jean Nouvel, 10 July - 17 October 2010.