
Visit the Second Home Pavilion, shown previously in London’s Hyde Park, at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. (photo by Iwan Baan/courtesy of Second Home)
The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, a unique site in the Miracle Mile known for bubbling black pools and displays of fossils from the animals that became trapped in them, will open a new snake-like attraction from June 28 through Nov. 24.
The Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by selgascano at La Brea Tar Pits will be located on the grounds next to the museum and will feature a space for exploration and special programming on the intersections of art, design, science and nature. Designed by the Madrid-based architectural practice selgascano, the 866-square-foot pavilion was created by Second Home, a social business founded in London, committed to supporting entrepreneurship.
Sam Aldenton, co-founder and co-CEO of Second Home, said the pavilion is dedicated to the exchange of ideas. The pavilion’s exterior has multi-colored fabric membranes creating a chrysalis-like translucent structure. Visitors can wander through “secret corridors” and experience architecture through shape, light and color. Inside, free programs such as public talks, film screenings and other events will be held.
Organizations and speakers that will present programs include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Universal Music, Netflix, World Wildlife Fund, Frieze LA and Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office. Filmmaker David Lynch will appear for a discussion with Serpentine Director Hans Ulrich Obrist. Plans call for one weekend to be dedicated to supporting nonprofits and social impact organizations.
“Our community is designed as a place to stimulate ideas,” Aldenton said. “It takes ideas from all walks of life. One day you might have a nuclear physicist talking about the process of the formation of the universe, and the next a designer talking about the next fashion textile made from sustainable sources.”
The Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by selgascano at La Brea Tar Pits is a partnership between Second Home and the Los Angeles County Museums of Natural History.
“We are pleased to be working with Second Home to bring the pavilion to Los Angeles and to one of L.A.’s most compelling public and scientific resources, La Brea Tar Pits,” said Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Los Angeles County Museums of Natural History. “The Pavilion is an opportunity to experience one of the boldest and most innovative designs in contemporary architecture. But it’s also a place for people to meet and be inspired by a range of activities throughout the summer. It gives a glimpse of what we can do with cultural programming at our museums, at that space where art and science intersect.”
The pavilion will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Fridays. Alderton said Second Home plans to open a new campus and workspace in Hollywood this fall that will also be a space for exchanging ideas. Located in the Anne Banning Community House at 1370 N. St. Andrews Place, Second Home’s new facility will serve as a place for diverse organizations and individuals to develop ideas and new concepts. It will include a bookshop, Libreria, a 200-seat auditorium, recording studio, restaurant and outdoor garden terraces.
Aldenton said the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum and the city of Los Angeles are inspirational locations that fit perfectly with Second Home’s goal of promoting the next concepts and products that could change the world.
“We’ve fallen in love with Los Angeles, its beauty and chaos, its light and shadows, its contradictions, sub-cultures and people,” Aldenton added. “The Second Home Pavilion is a celebration of this, our love letter to L.A.”
The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is located at 5801 Wilshire Blvd. For information, visit pavilion.secondhome.io and tarpits.org.
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