Zaha Hadid has created her first permanent structure in central London: the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, located on the grounds of Kensington Gardens.
The gallery consists of The Magazine, a renovated gunpowder store dating back to 1805 and an attached new structure that follows Hadid’s signature curvy form and is made from PTFE-coated glass-fiber textile. In total, the gallery spans 900 square meters with exhibitions held in The Magazine, while the new structure houses an event space and a 120-seat restaurant helmed by German celebrity chef Oliver Lange.
Opened to the public on September 28, the US$23.3-million gallery has a new roof and skylights with retractable blinds to adjust the amount of natural light and the new tensile building is augmented by a landscape design by Arabella Lennox-Boyd. Hadid has said that the contrast between the 200-plus-year-old Magazine and new structure represent a synthesis between the old and the new.
The Serpentine Sackler is a seven-minute walk from the Serpentine Gallery via the northside Serpentine Bridge. This path will be the centerpiece of the inaugural Bridge Commission, stories by 12 writers that are created to be read in their entirety during the walk between the two galleries.
The first exhibit at the Serpentine Sackler is Today We Reboot The Planet by Argentinean artist Adrián Villar Rojas, who is known for his large-scale sculptural works made from materials such as concrete, wood, steal, and clay. The exhibit runs until November 10.
For more information, visit the Serpentine Sackler Gallery website.
