london welcomes the serpentine pavilion 2025
Opening to the public on June 6th and on view through October 26th, the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion by Marina Tabassum Architects is now complete in London’s Kensington Gardens. Marking the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine’s architectural program, the pavilion, titled A Capsule in Time, explores themes of impermanence, tactility, and light through a modular, timber-built structure designed to move, adapt, and ultimately disappear. Ahead of the opening, Marina Tabassum shares with designboom the ideas that shaped this year’s design.‘The pavilion is called A Capsule in Time for many reasons,’ Tabassum tells us during our interview. ‘One is that I find the connection between architecture and time quite intriguing… pavilions have a temporality, which is not about time but about a moment—to embrace and enjoy it.’
Aligned with Serpentine South’s historic bell tower, the elongated north-south structure is composed of four translucent capsules that dapple the space with shifting light. Tabassum draws inspiration from the hydrologic landscapes of Bangladesh, where ‘land constantly moves—it’s a situation where sand beds form, water takes the land away, and then it recreates it.’ This ephemerality is echoed in the building’s material choices. The architect works entirely in wood for the first time, not only for its dry-construction potential and future reuse, but also for its local availability. ‘We haven’t worked entirely with wood before because wood is not a material in Bangladesh as such… but here, it made sense,’ she explains.
Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). exterior view. © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) | image by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine
in ‘a capsule in time’ knowledge can be shared freely
A kinetic capsule embedded within the Serpentine Pavilion structure allows parts of the pavilion to shift and expand for public programming. More than a design flourish, it serves a functional need: ‘It’s a movable part of the structure that can shift and connect with another section to create a larger, covered space. That’s where the kinetic element comes in.’ Marina Tabassum notes. At the heart of the pavilion stands a ginkgo tree—a resilient species dating back to the Jurassic Period. ‘That tree gives life to the whole pavilion,’ the architect shares with designboom. ‘Even though it’s within a park and surrounded by nature, having a tree inside the pavilion really changes the atmosphere.’
Tabassum also sees the pavilion as a place of quiet resistance, an antidote to rising global censorship. Bookshelves built into the capsules host a curated selection of texts in Bengali literature, poetry, ecology, and identity. ‘Some of them are by writers whose works have been banned in Bangladesh,’ she reveals during our discussion. ‘In a time when many books are being banned and education is being questioned (…) the very notion of knowledge feels under threat. So it felt important to bring that idea of books and knowledge into the pavilion—a space where knowledge can be shared freely.’ Continue reading to explore our full conversation with Marina Tabassum, this year’s Serpentine Pavilion architect.
marking the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine’s architectural program | image by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine
interview with Marina Tabassum
designboom (DB): The Pavilion is called A Capsule in Time. What does that mean to you? What kind of histories, moments, or personal elements were you hoping to capture in this structure?
Marina Tabassum (MT): The pavilion is called A Capsule in Time for many reasons. One is that I find the connection between architecture and time quite intriguing. We started architecture as a discipline with the notion that it would last forever. It’s almost like a continuity—when you’re not there, your architecture remains. So it continues through time. Timelessness has also been a way of looking into architecture—how you can make your buildings timeless, which is about defying time. At the same time, pavilions have a temporality, which is not about time but about a moment—to embrace and enjoy it. In the case of the Serpentine, it’s there for a five-month period—nice summer days, a beautiful sunny day like today—and then it’s gone. But it has a presence in the virtual realm, which is our new reality.
Where I come from, in Bangladesh, we have this notion of land as temporal. Land constantly moves—it’s a hydrologic situation where sand beds form, water takes the land away, and then it recreates it. So this idea of land being eroded and re-emerging also carries temporality. Architecture is associated with that, because people keep moving their houses from one place to another. I also bring in my way of practice. I come from a place defined by temporality, but I’ve always been very interested in light. A nice summer day in London can be really beautiful. That light can be celebrated if we create a space that lets it through. Light is an important element in this design. It also connects to pavilion structures in Bangladesh—ones we create for weddings or religious occasions, called shamiyanas. These shamiyana structures are made of cloth and bring in beautiful light. Bringing that sense, that atmosphere, into this space was also very important to me.
exploring themes of impermanence, tactility, and light | image by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine
DB: The translucent facade creates a play of light and shadow. What was the process behind achieving that dappled effect? Was it intentional from the start, or something that evolved along the way?
MT: The decision to bring in this very sort of translucent light into the space was intentional. That was one of the design intents. From the very beginning, that’s what we wanted for that space. But achieving that effect was a process. Initially, we were thinking of using jute and laminated jute; we looked into it and did some research.
But jute is a material that is not fire-rated, so it would not be allowed in the pavilion.
Then we had to look for something we could source locally here in London. So we settled for polycarbonate sheet with a translucent film on it. That actually helped us bring in the quality of light that we wanted. The building is maybe initiated in the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, but it has an afterlife. That means there will be a continuity of this building in another location. So it will be used again—it won’t go into a landfill. That’s why we opted for a material of that nature.
Tabassum draws inspiration from the landscapes of Bangladesh | image by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine
DB: And what about working with wood for the first time entirely? What drew you to this material for the pavilion and how did it shape your approach?
MT: We haven’t worked entirely with wood before because wood is not a material in Bangladesh as such. The reason we used this material is because it’s something we could source locally here. And that’s one of our practice’s ethos—we like to source materials locally, where there’s also local knowledge of building. So using wood for the structure made more sense.
It’s also a dry construction. As you can imagine, it’s only here for a short period of time. That was another reason we chose a wooden structure, it can be dismantled and taken to a different location later on.
Serpentine 2025 Pavilion A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), design render, interior view | rendering © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), courtesy Serpentine
DB: The pavilion also features a kinetic element that moves and transforms the space. What inspired that idea? Were there any technical or design challenges in making it work?
MT: Not really. No, not in that sense. There was a budget challenge, but that’s always the case—nothing unusual. The main idea was to create a capsule-like form—sort of a half capsule—but we wanted it to feel more connected to the natural surroundings of the park. That’s why you see these openings or cuts in the structure: they’re designed to bring in elements of nature and create a balance between inside and outside.
The Serpentine Pavilion also serves a practical purpose. It hosts various events throughout the summer, so it was important to design a space that could accommodate around 200 people—even in rainy weather. That’s where the kinetic element comes in. It’s a movable part of the structure that can shift and connect with another section to create a larger, covered space. This allows the pavilion to expand when needed and provide shelter for bigger gatherings. So the kinetic feature had a functional reason behind it, but it also became an exciting design element—because no one had done something like that before in the Serpentine Pavilion. It adds a new and interesting layer to the experience.
the architect works entirely in wood for the first time | rendering © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), courtesy Serpentine
DB: You’ve built the pavilion around a ginkgo tree, which feels like a really meaningful choice. What led you to center the tree in the design, and how does that reflect your approach to climate-responsive architecture?
MT: Well, you know, the tree—I think that tree gives life to the whole pavilion. Otherwise, it’s a very archaic structural form. But the moment we brought in the tree, it transformed the space. Even though it’s within a park and surrounded by nature, having a tree inside the pavilion really changes the atmosphere. It brings life, and it gives the space a more intimate scale. That became one of the essential elements of the entire design. We really wanted to incorporate nature—not just to serve people, but to create a space that also celebrates nature. We were thoughtful about what kind of tree it should be. The idea was that once the pavilion is dismantled, the tree would be replanted somewhere in the park so it can continue to live.
We needed a tree that was strong and rugged, something that could withstand being transported and replanted. At the same time, it needed to be compatible with the plant community already in the park. So we looked for something that could meet all of those needs—but also something beautiful and light, that would sit harmoniously inside the pavilion. That’s how we chose the ginkgo tree. It has a beautiful, fan-shaped leaf—very sculptural, which I really loved. And towards the end of the season, in September or October, the leaves turn this beautiful yellow. So we’ll hopefully see that transformation as the pavilion nears its end. It’s poetic in a way—sustainability and poetry coming together in one gesture.
the structure allows parts of the pavilion to shift and expand | rendering © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), courtesy Serpentine
DB: In times of rising censorship, you’ve spoken about knowledge-sharing. How does the pavilion become a tool for resistance, if at all?
MT: Well, knowledge sharing is an important part of our practice—especially wherever we build. In the houses we’re building now, we try to work closely with the community. We share building knowledge with people so they’re able to eventually build on their own. That’s a core part of our approach. And the way we wanted to bring that idea of knowledge sharing into the pavilion was by introducing a small library alongside the café. We’re bringing in a range of books—different kinds of books.
Some of them are by writers whose works have been banned in Bangladesh. So you’ll see some of those there too. The idea is that, in a time when many books are being banned and education is being questioned or restructured in different parts of the world, the very notion of knowledge feels under threat. So it felt important to bring that idea of books and knowledge into the pavilion—a space where knowledge can be shared freely. We also want it to be a space for dialogue, where people can come together and, despite all our differences, celebrate our uniqueness.
Marina Tabassum portrait | image © Asif Salman
project info:
name: A Capsule in Time
architect: Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) | @marinatabassum
location: Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London, UK
event: Serpentine Pavilion | @serpentineuk
dates: June 6th – October 26th 2025
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