Serpentine and The Lego Group announce Play Pavilion commission by Sir Peter Cook.
Serpentine and the LEGO Group are delighted to announce the Play Pavilion, a new vibrant, interactive play commission situated alongside Serpentine South in London’s Kensington Gardens. The public art project is designed by British architect Peter Cook and will showcase the power of play, with an unveiling on World Play Day on 11th June.
Incorporating LEGO® Bricks into the design, the Play Pavilion will be an immersive environment where visitors can explore the creative power of play in three dimensions. By partnering with the LEGO Group, the Play Pavilion will extend a shared mission of building connections around play, beyond Serpentine’s gallery walls and into the park itself.
The Play Pavilion continues a new series of programmes presented by Serpentine welcoming families, younger audiences and teenagers, that is centred on the idea of engaging with activities for enjoyment and recreation. In 2022, Serpentine, The London Lions Basketball Club, and artist Alvaro Barrington partnered with CONSUL, Tower Hamlets Council and Weavers Adventure Playground in Bethnal Green to create a unique basketball court, enriching the local community and beyond. These new initiatives will bring together artists, designers, architects, and creatives to champion the spirit of play and community.
Sir Peter Cook has said; “Play transcends survival, achievement, and common sense. It encourages, or at least permits us, to explore and idly delight in a territory between the wayward and speculative towards unashamed amusement. The Play Pavilion, created in partnership with Serpentine and the LEGO Group, is a piece of theatre. From a distance, intriguing shapes rise from within the structure, although partly obscured. Activities inside can be viewed through pierced and scooped walls, as if teasing ‘come closer, there’s more’. A child might pop out on a slide, another may crawl through a hole on the ground, mystifying conventional entrance routes. Another mouth-shaped opening reveals an orator, performer or singer entertaining eavesdroppers beyond.”
The Play Pavilion will become a platform for live activations throughout the summer.
Further Information: Serpentine Galleries