Serpentine Pavilion 2008: Frank Gehry

Out of the shadows ... visitors explore the newly opened pavilion by Frank Gehry Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty

Frank Gehry is the latest in a line of big-name architects who have been invited to provide the summer pavilion for the Serpentine Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty

The commission is highly prized in the architectural community but is not as lucrative as other work they could be doing at that time, a decision Gehry calls 'an expensive yes' Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

The pavilion nears completion ... remarkably, from first designs to the opening night concert, the project has taken only six months Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

Glass, Douglas fir timber and steel comprise the design - as the pavilion is temporary, Gehry felt he could use some temporary materials Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

Benches inside the structure mean it will provide a popular relief from the excesses of the British summer, and the pavilion will, as with previous years, house a cafe Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

The idea started with a simple catapult image, then evolved into an attempt to create a picture of butterflies moving in the roof Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

Britain is strangely bereft of Gehry's work - the Maggie's Centre in Dundee is the only existing example of his style we have, despite his acclaimed work on the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which has been credited with reinvigorating the local economy Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex

With typical equanimity, Gehry dismisses such praise as 'bullshit'. He is already working on the next creation, with projects underway in Las Vegas, Princeton, Napa Valley, Panama and Spain Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex

A child explores inside the timber and glass structure. It's made some people think of Jenga bricks, others of exploding greenhouses - will you be visiting? Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty

Visitors can enjoy Gehry's pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London, until October 19 2008 Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty