The Serpentine Gallery in London has announced that Mexican architecture studio Lanza Atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, will design the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, titled "a serpentine," on view from June 6 to October 25. The pavilion draws inspiration from the English crinkle-crankle wall, featuring a translucent roof, brick columns, and a winding outdoor bench. To mark the anniversary, the Serpentine is collaborating with the Zaha Hadid Foundation on a dedicated architecture program at Serpentine South, exploring Hadid's legacy and contemporary architectural issues. The project is sponsored by Goldman Sachs, which has supported the pavilion for 12 years.
The 25th edition matters because the Serpentine Pavilion is a landmark architectural commission that has launched or cemented the careers of major architects like Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Sou Fujimoto. This year's focus on Hadid's legacy and the new architecture program underscores the pavilion's role as a catalyst for experimentation and discourse in architecture and visual culture. The choice of Lanza Atelier, a relatively young studio, continues the tradition of giving emerging international architects their first UK platform, reinforcing the Serpentine's influence on the global art and design calendar.