Serpentine Pavilion "A capsule in Time",
design: Marina Tabassum
In the heart of London, in the shade of centuries-old trees and near the surface of Lake Serpentine, an architecture has been created that transcends the boundaries of seasonal design. "A time capsule". -The Serpentine 2025 Pavilion by Marina Tabassum and her team from Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) - is a temporary space only by design. Its presence is part of the long-standing tradition of Serpentine Gallery, but it escapes classification. It's not just a pavilion - it's a deeply considered story about time, light, community and the spiritual layer of architecture. Tabassum, an architect recognized internationally for her ability to combine local traditions with a modern language of forms, proposes a structure grounded in place, yet capable of dialogue with the universal themes of today.
Serpentine Pavilion designed by Tabassum - resembles an organic, elongated structure with a central courtyard
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
Galerie Serpentine - a place that creates the future
SerpentineGalleries - Serpentine South and Serpentine North - are two unique institutions on the London map. Only a few minutes' walk from each other and connected by a historic bridge over a lake, they attract more than a million visitors each year. For more than five decades, they have consistently built their position as a center for reflection on contemporary visual culture. The southern headquarters, opened in 1970 in a former 1930s tea pavilion, has hosted works by some of the most important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries - from Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat to Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor.
Overview of Serpentine pavilions from earlier years
© Images George Rex | CC BY-SA
In 2000, the gallery initiated a unique architectural project: each year a different invited architect or architect designs a temporary pavilion that becomes a meeting point for meetings, discussions and artistic activities for three summer months. So far, Zaha Hadid, Peter Zumthor, Rem Koolhaas, Francis Kéré and Bjarke Ingels, among others, have realized their visions here. This year's edition - dedicated to Marina Tabassum - attracts attention not only in form, but also in idea. Her "Time Capsule" is a project that consciously eschews spectacularity in favor of subtlety, sensitivity to the environment and a deep-rooted reflection on the condition of public space.
Photo by Marina Tabassum - the architect is internationally recognized for her ability to combine local traditions with the modern language of forms
Photo by Asif Salman
form that breathes
The pavilion designed by Tabassum resembles an organic, elongated structure with a central courtyard. Situated on a north-south axis, its geometry relates to the natural rhythm of its surroundings. Two arched forms resembling capsules connect in the central part, creating a transitional space - a place to meet, move and stop. The facade of the pavilion is made of translucent and rhythmically arranged panels. Daylight shines through it softly, filtered as through the treetops. As a result, the interior pulsates with light and shadow, changing constantly - depending on the time of day, the weather and the presence of people. This is architecture that is not a background, but a dynamic contributor to events.
Serpentine Pavilion - the interior pulsates with light and shadow, changing constantly
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
The centerpiece of the structure is a courtyard, oriented towards the bell tower of the Serpentine South building - a symbolic anchor in the historical context of the site. One part of the capsule has the ability to move - this gives the pavilion a kinetic dimension, the ability to transform. This is not a technological gesture, but a thoughtful response to the idea of temporality, changeability and openness of public spaces.
Serpentine Pavilion - the facade of the pavilion is made of translucent and rhythmically arranged panels
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
From Shamiyan to Kensington Gardens
The design was inspired by the tradition of South Asian Shamiyan tents - fabric canopies used for ceremonies, gatherings and rituals. Stretched on bamboo poles, open on all sides, they served as social spaces - temporary, but firmly embedded in the culture of the community. Tabassum rereads this tradition, translating it into contemporary architectural language. Her pavilion - though made of sustainable materials and set in the context of a global institution - retains Shamiyan's lightness, accessibility and democratic nature. It is a place open - not only physically, but also symbolically - to conversation, diversity, and presence.
Serpentine Pavilion - light makes the pavilion not only a physical space, but also an emotional one
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
light as an architectural material
One of the most telling elements of the pavilion is the play of light. The façade acts as a filter - it lets light through, but also models it. The interior is saturated with golden reflections that change with the movement of the sun. Especially at dusk, the structure seems almost luminous - illuminated from within, delicate, moving. This light makes the pavilion not only a physical space, but also an emotional one. It builds an atmosphere of concentration, reflection, and introduces an element of spirituality - not intrusive, but deeply rooted in aesthetics and function. In this sense, the Tabassum project continues the line of thinking about architecture as a carrier of intangible values - such as time, rhythm, community or attentiveness.
Serpentine Pavilion designed by Tabassum
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
pavilion as a community space
In an era of urban tensions and crises of public space, Tabassum's design takes on special significance. "The time capsule" is not just for aesthetic contemplation - its essence is to create a place for community experience. Open entrances, a flat floor, a flexible interior - everything here invites participation, regardless of age, language or purpose of the visit. The pavilion can be the site of a concert, a debate, a workshop or simply a moment of rest. Its form does not impose - it leaves space for initiative. It's architecture that works by presence and possibility, not by monumentality.
The Serpentine Pavilion titled. "A capsule in Time" - bird's eye view.
Photo by Ivan Baan © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
architecture that stays in the memory
Although the Serpentine pavilion only functions for a few months, its impact doesn't end with its dismantling. Projects like this one by Marina Tabassum stay in the memory of users - as an experience of space, light, movement and encounter. "The time capsule"is not just a seasonal installation. It is architecture that provokes questions about what it means to be together. How can communal spaces be designed without monumental gestures? How do you build relationships between people and place, between tradition and modernity, between light and shadow? Tabassum answers these questions subtly, with great design culture and deep respect for place. Her pavilion becomes a story - subtle but clear - about a world where architecture can be not just a structure, but a gesture.
Elaborated: Anastazja Dżupina
Illustrations provided courtesy of Serpentine.
