International spa company ESPA has announced the first of its planned cultural partnerships for 2012 with the sponsorship of the annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in Hyde Park, London, UK.

The pavilion is a temporary structure commissioned annually by the Serpentine Gallery to provide a showcase for contemporary architectural practice.

This year, the gallery has been designed in partnership by Chinese artist and architect Ai Weiwei and Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (HDM). Weiwei and HDM previously collaborated on the Beijing National Stadium - also known as the "Bird's Nest" - the main stage of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The pavilion will be presented as part of the London 2012 Festival and will be the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad organised as part of the legacy plans for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

According to Susan Harmsworth, ESPA's involvement in the pavilion will be part of the company's programme of collaborations with British cultural institutions, artists and luminaries that showcase the best in design, expertise and "the unexpected".

Harmsworth said: "Our British heritage is extremely important to us and to be able to support British arts and culture, in particular the creativity and innovation of the Pavilion, is important to ESPA as it reflects our core values."

This year's pavilion will take visitors beneath the Serpentine's lawn to explore the hidden history of previous pavilions.

Twelve columns will support a floating platform roof 1.5 metres above ground, eleven of them will characterise past Pavilions.

First commissioned in 2000, the pavilions have featured works by some of the most celebrated contemporary architects, including Zaha Hadid (2000 & 2007); Daniel Libeskind (2001); Frank Gehry (2008); and Jean Nouvel (2010).

Image: Chinese architect and artist Ai Weiwei

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