The Serpentine Pavilion 2017 comes in a design by Diébedo Francis Kéré

The architect Diébedo Francis Kéré, based in Berlin, was born in Burkina Faso and after studying at the Technical University of Berlin, set up his own practice, Kéré Architecture. Architectural projects in developing countries are a main focus of his award-winning work. His planning for an "opera village" initiated in Burkina Faso by the late German theatre director Christoph Schlingensief made him known to a broad swathe of the public.  His first monographic exhibition, titled "Radically Simple" and currently on view at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, is meeting with great success, not only among an informed public but in general.

The central design feature of this year's Serpentine Pavilion is a deeply projecting wooden roof, supported by a filigree steel framework.  Kéré's design responds in an inventive way to London's changeable weather:  on sunny summer days, visitors will be able to enjoy the sun to the full in the small court in the middle of the pavilion; on rainy ones, the court will become a natural spectacle when the rainwater drains down to the floor through the circular opening in the roof, much like a waterfall.

The pavilion in Kensington Gardens can be viewed between 23 June and 8 October 2017.