Long to rain over us

Rainwater cascade is feature of new Serpentine Pavilion

Rainwater management at the centre of spectacular Serpentine Pavilion

Visitors to the stunning 2017 Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens will enjoy its spectacular effects unaware of the below ground water management solution right at its heart, provided by the sustainable drainage market-leader SDS.

A dramatic rainwater cascade from the Pavilion’s arching tree-like roof canopy is a central feature of this year’s design by the award-winning Burkina Faso architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, which opens to the public on 23 June.

The British climate and London’s ever-changing weather patterns influenced Kéré’s creative interpretation of the Serpentine Galleries’ annual commission for a temporary pavilion, as a focal point for one of the top ten most visited architectural design exhibitions in the world.

Rain Collection

 'At the centre of the Pavilion is a large opening in the canopy, creating an immediate connection with nature.  In times of rain, the roof becomes a funnel channelling water into the heart of the structure.  This rain collection acts symbolically, highlighting water as a fundamental resource for human survival,' explains Kéré.

During peak summer storms, rainwater is designed to run off the Pavilion’s expansive roof into an open central courtyard, so an underground attenuation solution using GEOlight® geocellular storage from SDS was designed by the engineering project team from AECOM.

The roof canopy is supported by a central steel framework and covered with a transparent twin-wall polycarbonate skin.  With the roof pitch varying between 5° and 9°, the rainwater is conveyed quickly through a funnel before dropping into the centre of the courtyard.