summertime serpentine

As September draws to a close I've been reminiscing about some of my favourite things to do on those rare occasions when the sun is shining in London, and my recent trip to the Serpentine Pavilion proves that sometimes you don't need the rain to enjoy the rainbow.

Each year, for the past 15 years, the Serpentine Galleries have commissioned an architectural practice to create a new temporary pavilion on their lawn in Kensington Gardens. It's fast becoming one of the most anticipated features in the Capital's design calendar, and this year was no exception.

Spanish architectural practice, Selgascano were asked to design the 15th pavilion for the Serpentine, which features a fluid, steel framed structure, covered in a double skin rainbow of translucent ETFE panels and ribbon. Each piece of ETFE is a slightly different colour, representing a different emotional state, the colours weave into one another as you weave your way around the structure, chasing iridescent reflections and glimpses of coloured silhouettes. When you get to the very center there's even a small cafe, and I can't imagine a more colourful space to enjoy a scoop of ice cream in the last of the summer sun.

The pavilion is open to the public until the 18th of October, and I would definitely recommend a trip if you happen to be in the area enjoying London's Indian summer.