Derived from the book published on the occasion of the realization of the Summer Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 2010 by Jean Nouvel, “Summer hours in Kensington” echoes the pleasures of a sunny summer in the heart of London.

“Hyde Park, Kensington: the simplicity and openness of these gently tamed expanses. Green grass as a backdrop… Stretches of leafy trees creating depth of field… An aura of calm freedom floats in the air.

In summer. The trees are green, heavy with leaves. Some of the shrubs are in flower. The grass is strewn with people strolling, lounging, playing sport and games.

More people than ever visit the Serpentine Gallery. The summer pavilion is about to open…

Colors become bolder in summer, more dense. Greens are greener; flowers are brighter. The summer pavilion is like a beacon, a celebration of summer. It takes contrasts to the extreme. It is complementary. Complementary to the park, to the Serpentine Gallery’s brick. It’s red. It’s seasonal.

Red is summer heat. Red complements green.

Red is bright, alive, piercing.

Red is provocative, forbidden, loud.

Red is as English as a red rose, as red as London’s iconic objects, a double-decker bus or a telephone box, the transitory places we gravitate towards.”

Jean Nouvel

Editor