Serpentine Pavilion: 'day-glo chrysalis' opens in London

Latest pavilion by architects SelgasCano praised as most 'playful and unpretentious' in 15 years

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This summer's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion – dubbed a "psychedelic labyrinth" by critics – has opened to the public in Kensington Gardens.

The chrysalis of multi-coloured plastic has been designed by Madrid-based architects Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano, who founded the SelgasCano studio in 1998.

Spanish architects Lucia Cano (R) and Jose Selgas pose by their Serpentine pavilion structure at the Serpentine Gallery in London on June 22, 2015. For the last 15 years the Serpentine galler

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(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images)

"Formed from layers of jazzy plastic fabric and coloured webbing stretched over a framework of interlocking tunnels, it looks as if an exotic caterpillar might have nibbled on a magic mushroom before spinning its chrysalis," wrote Oliver Wainwright at The Guardian when the first images of the structure were released.

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Describing it as a "psychedelic labyrinth", Wainwright said the new pavilion "exudes joy, mischief and a welcome dose of Spanish sunshine", but cautioned that the "devil will be in the detail".

Today, Wainwright says that "architectural purists might sniff at what looks like a kids' funfair maze from the outside – until they're sucked through the wormhole and swallowed inside SelgasCano's trippy womb".

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 22:Visitors walk through the newly installed Serpentine Gallery Pavilion designed by SelgasCano on June 22, 2015 in London, England. The Pavilion which officially opens

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(Image credit: 2015 Getty Images)

Alice Vincent at the Daily Telegraph explains that the "day-glo chrysalis" has a double-layered shell, made from multi-coloured plastic, that is big enough for visitors to enter and exit from different points and discover a "secret corridor" between the layers.

Its "polygonal, fluid form is fun and inviting", says Ellie Stathaki at Wallpaper, with the translucent multi-coloured fabric membrane panels creating a "stained glass effect" and "playful environment".

Every year since 2000, the area in front of the Serpentine Gallery has hosted a temporary structure by architects including Oscar Niemeyer, Frank Gehry and Smiljan Radic.

The New York Times says this year is the most "playful and unpretentious" pavilions in its 15-year history and acts as a "jolt of vitamin D against inconstant British skies".

The newspaper adds that it is "as much a reminder of the experimental role that architects play in shaping our environment as it is yet more proof of art's fun-loving side".

  • The 2015 Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano will be on display from 25 June to 18 October at the Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London
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