Serpentine cafe's new roof inspired by a stingray
A cafe with a brass roof inspired by the movement of a stingray is to be built next to the Serpentine.
It will sit on the boundary of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, across the bridge from the late Dame Zaha Hadid’s Serpentine Sackler gallery.
The “glazed pavilion” park cafe, above, will attract visitors to the annual Serpentine Pavilion, this year designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo.
The structure received planning consent from Westminster council this month and is due to open in December.
The roof was originally designed to resemble a serpent — in reference to the name of Hyde Park’s boating lake — but a stingray was thought friendlier, according to architect Jonathan Mizzi.
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The cafe’s roof is made of fibre-glass but will be infused with powdered brass and polished to give it the appearance of solid metal. It is one of 10 new cafes replacing the Royal Parks’ ageing collection of coffee shop kiosks.