He?s creating a tree to gather the community

Francis Kéré, © Erik Jan Ouwerkerk

Every year since 2000, London?s Serpentine Galleries has chosen an international architect with no previous built work in the U.K. capital to design a temporary pavilion at Kensington Gardens, an event that has become quite the spectacle for design lovers. This year?s pick has just been announced and soon to join the ranks of Bjarke Ingels, Zaha Hadid, and more will be Diébédo Francis Kéré, the Burkino-Faso-born, Germany-based architect who?s been building his cred with everything from an award-winning primary school in his home country to a shelter for first-century ruins.
Known for simple designs featuring local materials and labor, Kéré is bringing a similarly pared-back sensibility to this commission. Kéré, the first Serpentine Pavilion designer from an African country, has conceived a tree-like canopy inspired by the traditions of his home town, Gando.
Serpentine Pavilion 2017, Designed by Francis Kéré, Design Render, Interior ©Kéré Architecture

?In Burkina Faso, the tree is a place where people gather together, where everyday activities play out under the shade of its branches,? Kéré writes in his design statement. For his pavilion design, the ?tree? will be made of steel, wood, and a transparent skin, which will provide shelter while letting in sunlight and producing dynamic shadows.
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