Serpentine Pavilion

Location: United Kingdom

Year: Since 2000

The Serpentine Pavilion is a temporary architectural commission in London’s Kensington Gardens. Each year, it showcases innovative designs by different architects. Throughout the summer, it serves as a public space, hosting events and exhibitions and exploring themes of sustainability and social engagement.

How might we invite the community to co-create events and spaces?

The program’s brief timeline and restricted scope create an ideal setting for experimentation. Safely removed from pragmatic functions, this architecture is created for its own sake. For 19 years, the Serpentine Gallery has provided a substantial platform to promote architectural experimentation and avant-gardism. This framework benefits both designers and the public.

How might we allow flexibility to accommodate changes?

Since 2000, Serpentine has commissioned both internationally renowned and up-and-coming architects to design and construct a pavilion. This pavilion serves as a daytime meeting space and café, transforming into a venue for learning, discussion, and entertainment at night.

Each pavilion is constructed within 6 months and is placed on the Serpentine South’s lawn for three months, allowing the public to explore and enjoy it.