Minsuk Cho re-centres narratives of space at the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion

The modernist interpretation of architectural theory often conceives that architecture is more to do with making frames than painting pictures; that buildings should accommodate, rather than imitate art.

The situationist stance on architectural history tends to view new and existing buildings as chronicles of memory and experience, with the potential to evoke a profound emotional or spiritual response and thereby become art. The 23^rd Serpentine Pavilion synthesises these seemingly contradictory schools of thought to give rise to something altogether more powerful.

Referring back to previous installations where one clearly defined architectural element was erected at the centre of the Serpentine South Lawn, ‘Archipelagic Void’ occupies the lesser used parts of the sloping landscape. In a gesture to the traditional courtyard houses of his native Korea, the architect Minsuk Cho envisions the traditional exhibition context as a communal space around which an aggregation of interrelated timber-framed forms is arranged.

The void would appear to serve as the focal point for the project and a communal space where end-users of the ancillary buildings come together. It is a natural point of contact as people of different demographics instinctively move between the five functional buildings; and it is an obvious point of reflection for visitors familiar with the Serpentine as they reflect on previous pavilion designs. And yet this owes as much to the memories and habitual behaviours of people as it does to the design: the conceptual centre for the installation is socially constructed.

Cho recognises these buildings as functional and symbolic: each is a ‘content machine’, functioning as a lending library, say, or a children’s play area, and each stimulates different behaviours; but they also evoke different emotions and resonances rooted in the idea of a forgotten past. In a gesture to the historic function of the Serpentine Gallery, Cho names the east wing of the pavilion as the ‘Tea House’. He also incorporates a ‘Library of Forgotten Books’.

On their recent group trip to the Serpentine, the RDA team appreciated the relationship between the pavilion buildings and the wider park. In incorporating the refreshment, rest, and play areas into the design ensemble, Cho challenged the traditional assumption that these facilities were of secondary interest and in so doing invited young families using the park to engage more proactively with architecture. Architecture and design enthusiasts brushed shoulders with young families with no prior interest in the subject, inviting exciting opportunities for discussion.