Perfect balance between natural beauty and dramatic architecture
Osmo Garden Colour adorns the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion Black Chapel
As a true highlight in the Londoner culture scene, the Serpentine Galleries host every year from June to October a programme of public convenings and live performances in an outdoor pavilion. Set within the grounds of Kensington Gardens, the annual Serpentine Pavilion is an international site for architectural experimentation and a place to present projects by some of the world’s greatest architects.
With the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion Black Chapel, the Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates has achieved a perfect balance between natural beauty and dramatic architecture. It is clear to see that Gates found inspiration from various architectural structures around the world: from the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent, to the Musgum mud huts of Cameroon to various others. Black Chapel is a place for contemplation. The building allows a single source of light in to create a sanctuary for meditation, shelter and reflection.
With a diameter of 16 metres and a height of 10.7 metres, the 201-square-metre cylindrical building is the largest Serpentine Pavilion to date. The towering cylindrical pavilion was constructed largely from blackened timber joists with a plywood skin, topped with a spoke wheel timber and steel hybrid roof. The structure is fully demountable and can be relocated.
For the suitable black colour, Osmo Garden Colour 7505 Jet Black was selected. This opaque satin wood finish for the exterior impresses with its environmentally friendliness and excellent workability. Low on solvents and free of biocidal active ingredients are qualities that make it the best choice for outdoor timber – not only for large architectural structures, such as Black Chapel, but in the garden too.
Another plus point is the simple application and fast drying properties – the first coat can be recoated after only three to four hours. The scratch and dirt-resistant finish is water repellent, weatherproof and UV-stable, and comes in a choice of 15 standard colours.
