Guardian's Bayley praises glazed canopy

18:07:20 29th July 2008

Guardian critic Stephen Bayley has praised architect Gehry's glazed canopy display at the Serpentine Gallery.

Constructed using a timber frame and a latticework of intersecting glazed canopies, his chaotic design has drawn accolades from Bayley for pushing the boundaries of architecture by embracing the bizarre.

The design itself was allegedly inspired by images drawn up by Leonardo Da Vinci as he designed siege engine the trebuchet.

As Bayley writes: "The case for Gehry is straightforward and strong: his wilful shape-making extends the possibilities of architecture.

"Gehry's buildings become even more of a celebrity than their designer, creating civic vitality."

The artist has been criticised for treating materials wastefully and failing to take into account practical considerations when designing his outlandish creations, but Bayley has apparently let this pass in consideration of the man contributions to the architectural world.

Bayley praises the use of glazed canopies within the design, considering the pavilion in its entirety to be a valuable addition to contemporary architecture.