Serpentine Pavilion 2026: When a Wall Becomes a Place

Image by Iwan Baan

Every summer, London’s Kensington Gardens becomes the stage for one of architecture’s most anticipated annual commissions. The Serpentine Pavilion has, over the past quarter century, evolved into a global platform for architectural experimentation, introducing emerging voices while challenging conventional ideas about public space. For its landmark 25th edition, the commission takes a surprisingly elemental turn.

Designed by Mexico City-based architecture studio LANZA atelier, founded by architects Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, the 2026 pavilion, titled a serpentine, explores the enduring power of one of architecture’s oldest materials: brick. The result is a quietly poetic intervention that reimagines the humble wall not as a boundary, but as a catalyst for gathering, movement, and human connection.

At first glance, the pavilion appears deceptively simple. A series of undulating brick walls wind across the landscape in a contemporary interpretation of the historic English “crinkle-crankle” or serpentine wall. Traditionally used in gardens and agricultural landscapes, these sinuous structures derive their strength from their curves, requiring fewer materials than a conventional straight wall while providing remarkable stability. LANZA atelier transforms this historic typology into an architectural experience that feels both rooted in tradition and distinctly contemporary.

Serpentine Pavilion built from brick Image by Iwan Baan

Rather than creating a singular enclosed object, the architects have conceived a sequence of spaces that reveal themselves gradually. Curving brick surfaces guide visitors through moments of enclosure and openness, creating shifting perspectives across the surrounding parkland. Openings within the walls frame fragments of landscape, while a translucent roof allows light and air to permeate the structure, softening the distinction between inside and outside.

The project reflects LANZA atelier’s broader architectural philosophy, which places materiality, craftsmanship, and everyday human experience at the centre of design. Since establishing their practice in 2015, the studio has developed a reputation for work that balances rigorous construction techniques with a sensitivity to context and atmosphere. Their projects frequently explore the relationship between architecture and the natural environment, often drawing on vernacular building traditions as a source of contemporary innovation.

What makes a serpentine particularly compelling is its restraint. In an era when architecture often competes for attention through spectacle, LANZA atelier has chosen a quieter form of expression. The pavilion relies not on technological complexity or monumental scale, but on the simple choreography of movement, light, shadow, and material. Brick becomes both structure and narrative, its rhythmic repetition creating a tactile presence that encourages visitors to slow down and engage with the space.

The choice of brick also marks a significant first in the history of the Serpentine Pavilion programme. While previous commissions have explored everything from tensile structures to timber canopies and experimental forms, this is the first pavilion to place brick at the heart of its architectural language. Yet the material is used in a distinctly contemporary manner, with innovative construction methods allowing the structure to remain lightweight, adaptable, and ultimately dismantlable after its temporary installation concludes.

Beyond its architectural ambitions, the pavilion serves as a social space. Throughout the summer, it will host talks, performances, screenings, and community events, continuing the programme’s longstanding role as a cultural gathering point. The design’s openness reinforces this purpose, creating an environment that invites participation rather than observation.

As the Serpentine Pavilion celebrates its 25th anniversary, LANZA atelier’s contribution feels particularly timely. In a world increasingly defined by division, speed, and digital distraction, a serpentine offers an alternative vision—one rooted in craft, dialogue, and shared experience. It demonstrates that architecture’s greatest power often lies not in creating objects, but in creating places where people can come together.

The result is a pavilion that is at once ancient and contemporary, familiar and unexpected. Through the simple act of bending a wall, LANZA atelier has transformed a boundary into an invitation