The Second Home Serpentine Rainbow Pavilion At The La Brea Tar Pits
We went to check out the Second Home Pavilion, a new temporary space at the La Brea Tar Pits. The installation is a collaboration with the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles created as both an interactive art sculpture and a venue to host a program of live events over the next few months.
Second Home Serpentine Rainbow Pavilion
Second Home is a social business that provides co-working/shared spaces with locations in London, Lisbon and Los Angeles. Their mission is to support creativity and entrepreneurship in cities around the world. For the past few years they have chosen a different architect to erect a unique temporary space in Kensington Gardens and this year, one of those has ventured to Los Angeles.
Designed by Spanish architects Lucia Cano and Jose Selgas of SelgasCano, the Second Home Serpentine or Rainbow Pavilion is a framed set of interconnected tunnels over which translucent and iridescent textiles that resemble saran wrap are stretched and stitched together.
From the exterior is looks much like a set of outdoor children’s crawling tunnels on steroids, only with more colorful see-through fabrics.
Other walls have pulled colored bands stapled to the frame providing an airy atmosphere.
While walking through it will not make your jaw drop at the craftsmanship or innovation, the rainbow hued lighting and Instagram-perfect ambiance brings out smiles and giggles from those inside.
“The whole Pavilion was an experiment – we decided to play with it as much as possible” – SelgasCano, the Second Home Pavilion architects
architects Lucia Cano and Jose Selgas of SelgasCano
This leads us to our first piece of advice should you consider visiting. The pavilion is far more interesting and impressive midday when bright sun is overhead, casting playful shadows in the interior than on an overcast day.
The second piece of advice is to go at an off-hour if you don’t want to be photo-bombed by various tourists and local Los Angelenos.
The kids will love it and dog, on leash, are allowed. Just don’t expect too much and you’ll enjoy your visit.
Entry is free, every day.
Upcoming events include:
• Netflix and World Wildlife Fund Screening of Our Planet
• Filmmaker David Lynch on Meditation
• Mayor of LA Eric Garcetti on the Future of Cities
• Designer Thomas Heatherwick on Why Architecture Matters
• Performance by British Rapper Octavian
From the exterior is looks much like a set of outdoor children’s crawling tunnels on steroids, only with more colorful see-through fabrics.
