seaside minimal pavilionGazebos, pavilions or rotundas are structures with open sides and a covered roofs which add vertical interest, design ‘punctuation’ and seating within the garden. They come in all shapes and sizes from the picturesquely traditional to the starkly modern… but if they’re designed right they should all seduce us into stopping for a cuppa, al fresco lunch or a sundowner g&t.

rococco pavillionClassed as temporary structures they shouldn’t require planning permission as long as you’re not within a restricted planning zone, it’s not huge and you’re not too near a boundary (always check with your local planning office though).

But whether delicate or modernist these social structures need solid construction and a good sense of proportion and scale in their setting.

1. Design the structure as generously as possible to give it gravitas.

2. Spec paving and lighting to extend its use, and

3. Position carefully; to mark an axis, appreciate a view or perhaps next to water, raising your gazebo from the incidental to the integral within your garden design.

square wooden pavilionchelsea vietnam pavilion
climber gazebomirror Serpentine_Gallery_Pavilion_2009