In this movie by film studio Stephenson/Bishop, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto explains how he tried to combine nature and architecture when designing this year's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, which is open for three more weeks in London's Kensington Gardens. Update: this interview is featured in Dezeen Book of Interviews, which is on sale now for £12.
Built on the lawn outside the Serpentine Gallery, Sou Fujimoto's cloud-like pavilion comprises a grid of white poles that ascend upwards to form layered terraces with circles of transparent polycarbonate inserted to shelter from rain and reflect sunlight.
"From the beginning I didn't think 'I'd like to make a cloud'," says Fujimoto, explaining how he tried to design a structure that would fit in with its surroundings. "I was impressed by the beautiful surroundings of Kensington Garden, the beautiful green, so I tried to create something that was melting into the green."
"Of course the structure should be artificial so I tried to create something between architecture and nature; that kind of concept has been a big interest in my career so it is really natural to push forward with that concept for the future," he adds.
Fujimoto also speaks about how he wanted to combine inside and outside space within the structure. "The transparency is quite important for me because you can feel the nature, the weather and the different climates, even from inside the pavilion," he says.
Fujimoto is the youngest architect to design a Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. "It is kind of a dream for younger architects to be selected so I was excited, but at the same time it was kind of a big pressure ," he said. "But I started to enjoy the whole situation and the whole challenge and for me, it was was a nice experience for the project to be abroad in a different situation than Japan."
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion opened in June and will remain in place until 20 October. Dezeen also filmed an interview with Sou Fujimoto at the opening, when he told us he was "fascinated by such a beautiful contrast [between] the really sharp, artificial white grids and the organic, formless experience".
See all our stories about Serpentine Gallery pavilions »
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Photography is by Jim Stephenson.