SelgasCano’s Psychedelic Serpentine Pavilion Opens at the La Brea Tar Pits

As a #LoveLetterToLA, British workplace business Second Home has brought SelgasCano's delightfully trippy Serpentine Pavilion to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. The temporary installation traveled from Europe to the U.S. to celebrate the September opening of Second Home’s first U.S. branch, Second Home Hollywood.

Rechristened the Second Home Pavilion after its owners, the immersive, chrysalis-like structure was originally created by the Madrid–based architecture firm as the 15th Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London in 2015.

The sinuous structure derives its organic shape from nature, yet it's primarily composed of an artificial material—Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a lightweight, industrial-strength construction plastic that’s often used as a safer and more adaptable alternative to glass. SelgasCano wrapped an arched steel frame with multicolored layers of ETFE to create a translucent, rainbow-bright structure that changes color and appearance throughout the day.

"We sought a way to allow the public to experience architecture through simple elements: structure, light, transparency, shadows, lightness, form, sensitivity, change, surprise, color, and materials," explains SelgasCano. "The spatial qualities of the pavilion only unfold when accessing the structure and being immersed within it."

Now open to the public for free, the 866-square-foot Second Home Pavilion invites visitors to explore its surreal spatial qualities by entering one of its three entrances. They will then pass through a "secret corridor" in the double-skin facade to reach a bright, stained glass-like interior. The kaleidoscope of shapes, light, colors, and materials are symbolic of Los Angeles’ diversity, says Second Home Co-Founder Sam Aldenton.

"At Second Home, we really believe that diversity makes creativity stronger, which is why we’re so thrilled to be collaborating with Lori and the Natural History Museums to bring this beautiful structure to Los Angeles," adds Rohan Silva, Co-Founder of Second Home. "The Pavilion will be a space for diverse communities and ideas to come together, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in."

The Second Home Pavilion will be complemented with public programming and events—all free and open to the public—during the five-month installation. Confirmed partners and speakers include Universal Music, Netflix, World Wildlife Fund, David Lynch, and more. A full schedule will be announced soon.

Special celebrations are also expected to take place in September 2019 for the official opening of Second Home Hollywood, a new 90,000-square-foot co-working campus that’s also been designed by SelgasCano. It will feature bold architectural forms, unconventional materials, and an abundance of nature.

Located in East Hollywood on the historic site of the Anne Banning Community House, Second Home Hollywood will host up to 250 diverse organizations—in addition to a branch of Second Home’s renowned book shop Libreria, a 200-seat auditorium, a recording studio, a restaurant, and outdoor garden terraces.

The Second Home Pavilion is open to the public for free from June 28 to November 24, 2019. Timed express entry can be reserved online at pavilion.secondhome.io. 

Related Reading: Junya Ishigami's Serpentine Pavilion Descends Upon London Like a Giant Black Bird, Years of Serpentine Gallery Pavilions