2026's Serpentine Pavilion design looks decidedly... serpentine.
For quarter of a century now, a temporary pavilion has been erected in the grounds of the Serpentine South gallery each year (each one, that is, except 2004, when MVRDV failed to construct an artificial mountain here; a blueprint which later morphed into the notorious Marble Arch Mound).
2026's design — which opens to the public in June — has just dropped, and is quite literally giving us a wave. Conceived by Mexican architecture practice LANZA atelier, the pavilion's south wall is inspired by sinusoidal 'crinkle-crankle' walls; a thrifty method of strong wall-building once prevalent in Suffolk, but which harks back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians.
Built from a red brick that's "in dialogue" with the gallery itself, the pavilion also takes its cue from the nearby Serpentine lake, and is titled simply 'a serpentine' (their lower case, not ours).
The pavilion's north wall, says LANZA atelier, "is in dialogue" [clearly it's a talkative pavilion] with the surrounding landscape, curving around the nearby tree canopy.
Mock-ups of the structure show the interior will provide an irregular-shaped courtyard with spaces for sitting, and a brise soleil roof propped with thin brick columns.
'a serpentine' can be explored by anyone for free between 6 June-25 October 2026. In the meantime, sister gallery, Serpentine North hosts a free exhibition of David Hockney artworks, from mid March until late summer.
Serpentine Pavilion 2026: 'a serpentine', 6 June-25 October 2026, free
