The Rotunda of Revelries Brings Pleasure Back to London's Gardens

If London pleasure gardens of the 18th century are a dream of the past, then the Rotunda of Revelries by Fourks is a time machine. A spiraling vortex of a folly, the two encircled spaces that make up this installation invite events and create two unique destinations for social interactions. The pleasure gardens were a huge hit in London during the industrial era, marking a time when innovation in architecture was celebrated through pavilions and creative use of materials. Fourks borrows from this tradition by using euro pallets to construct this jigsaw-like structure. The pallets—those flat, paneled structures used to support goods when transported via forklift or other jacking device—not only increase the pavilion's sustainable appeal, but they also produce the effect of a delicate veil. As the light changes throughout the day, it hits the "veil" at different angles, so that a certain area may appear solid at one moment and then look like a lantern at another. The installation is part of an initiative from RIBA London to help transform the Royal Docks into a contemporary pleasure garden. Started in 2012 on ...