Marina Tabassum’s Pavilion opened last week in London. It marks the 25^th year of this pioneering commission and continues Dame Zaha Hadid’s ethos of pushing the boundaries of architecture. Her mantra “There should be no end to experimentation”, is the foundation in which this commission is built upon and Tabassum’s Pavilion exemplifies this.

Celebrated for her work that seeks to establish an architectural language that is contemporary while rooted and engaging with place, climate, context, culture and history, Tabassum’s design resonates with Serpentine South and aims to prompt a dialogue between the permanent and the ephemeral nature of the commission.

Built around a semi-mature Ginkgo tree – a climate resilient tree species that dates back to the early Jurassic Period – Tabassum’s Pavilion, like much of Tabassum’s previous projects, considers the threshold between inside and outside, the tactility of material, lightness and darkness, height and volume. Throughout the course of summer and into autumn, the Gingko tree leaves will slowly shift from green to luminous gold-yellow. The selection of a Gingko, was inspired by the fact this species is showing tolerance to climate change and contributes to a diverse treescape in Kensington Gardens. The species is not susceptible to many current pest and diseases, and will be replanted into the park following the Pavilion’s closure in October. Marina Tabassum explains the key concepts of the Pavilion:

Tell us about Marina Tabassum Architects:

Marina Tabassum Architects was founded in 2005. We are an architecture and studio-based practice based in Dhaka, Bangladesh that began with the mission of establishing a language of architecture that is contemporary to the world yet rooted to a specific location. For two decades we have resisted the global pressure of consumer architecture. We are committed to a practice that is informed by climate and geography. Every project undertaken is a sensitive and relevant response to the uniqueness of individual sites, contexts, cultures and people.

With a focus on combining research and teaching, we invest heavily in understanding the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh working closely with geographers, landscape architects, planners and other allied professionals. Additionally, we prioritise marginalised and low- to ultra-low-income communities, with a goal to elevate the environmental and living conditions of people.

Headed by myself, the studio engages with architects and professionals with an interest in self-built projects, who are willing to challenge conventional norms of architectural practice. 

What was your reaction when you were asked to design the Serpentine Pavilion?

We were thrilled to be selected as the architect of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion. It’s an interesting commission. It stays there for a very short time and is a celebration of the London Summer. I’ve visited several of the Serpentine Pavilions before. Internationally, architects eagerly look and anticipate who will be designing the next one and what their concept is. Despite a short physical presence of five months, vibrant with events, the Serpentine Pavilion attracts visitors from all over the world. Whilst the Pavilion’s life it is short-lived on Serpentine’s lawn, you can bring up all different kinds of agendas that concern our current moment. 

When did you find out that you were the selected architect for the Pavilion commission and how did you feel?

The commission is an invited competition to some extent, among architects who have never built in England before. I received an email from Hans Ulrich Obrist [Artistic Director, Serpentine] sometime in early October 2024 that they chose my proposal to be built in 2025. It was very exciting. It came at a time of political unrest and uprising in Bangladesh [referring to the country’s student uprising in July 2024], leading to the fall of a government, so it was quite a difficult time for us. A lot of people lost their lives. It was a troubled time, and our design being selected was a breath of fresh air for us and something to look forward to in 2025.

The Serpentine Pavilion is a much-anticipated landmark in London each summer. How does it feel to be designing a structure in the centre of London?

The Serpentine Pavilion celebrates the London summer – a time to be outdoors, connecting with friends and family in Kensington Gardens. We want our design to celebrate that, and the tradition of park-going. 

When conceiving our design, we reflected on the transient nature of the commission which appears to us as a capsule of memory and time. The relationship between time and architecture is intriguing: between permanence and impermanence, of birth, age and ruin; architecture aspires to outlive time. Architecture is a tool to live beyond legacies, fulfilling the inherent human desire for continuity after life. 8,000 kilometres from London, the Ganges delta is a fluid landscape that tells the tales of movement and impermanence. Two-thirds of Bangladesh is a product of progradation, an active delta hydrology formed by the rivers Padma, Meghna and Jamuna. Dwellings change locations as the rivers shift courses. Memories of those lived spaces continue to exist through stories and parables.The archaic volume of a half capsule, generated by geometry and wrapped in light semi-transparent material will create a play of filtered light that will pierce through the structure as if under a Shamiyana at a Bengali wedding. Built from a bamboo structure wrapped with colourfully decorated cloth, Shamiyanas can convene hundreds of guests on any occasion. The Serpentine Pavilion offers a unique platform under the summer sun to unite as people rich in diversity. The stage is set, the seats are placed. We envision various events and encounters taking place in this versatile space that unifies people through conversations and connections.

Each Pavilion has been unique. What makes your Pavilion unique?

I think it’s for the others to distinguish through their own experiences and find the uniqueness of the Pavilion. The form and scale is different from the previous Pavilions. The experience will be different with the translucent filtered light presenting a unique atmosphere blended with the park all around. The kinetic part is a unique feature never done before in a pavilion. Our introduction of the Ginkgo tree at the centre is also representational of nature being in focus. 

What are the challenges in designing and building a temporary structure in Kensington Gardens?

There are restrictions to building in Kensington Gardens in order to preserve the natural environment, which is important. I think the process differs from the ways we are used to building back home [in Bangladesh], where we remain involved throughout the process from design to finish. Many decisions are done on site, through sample making and in conversation with the builders. The Serpentine process is much linear because the schedules and deadlines are tight. But there’s an efficient team who has decades of experience in building the Pavilions, so that helps immensely. 

How does your design for the Serpentine Pavilion relate to your other projects?

Our approach is to respond to the context. In this case, the garden, the proximity to Serpentine South, the visitors and the London summer were the main points to address. In terms of materials, we try to source responsibly and maintain a balance with maximising the use of natural material.  

What materials have you used in your Pavilion and why?

It’s made of wood and that’s quite exciting as this is my first building made predominantly from wood. We are using timber as it is available and can be sourced easily, and it means the structure can also move. The Pavilion is formed by a half capsule with two vaulted canopies and two semi-domes separated by pathways and a courtyard. The archaic volume of the half capsule, generated by geometry and wrapped in polycarbonate panels, draws upon the paradoxical relationship of permanence and impermanence. The ethereal quality of daylight coming through this semi-transparent façade creates a cheerful, yet pensive atmosphere. A tree at the centre of the courtyard symbolises our primordial connection to nature. 

The use of polycarbonate panels aims to create a very translucent light within the Pavilion. I always like working with light. My projects, such as the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, play with light and shadow. So, on beautiful sunny days, the Pavilion will become a bright, cheerful space. When designing the Pavilion, I thought that since I come from a different context, I wanted to bring something to London that referenced my own background, which is Bangladesh. Shamiyanas are pavilions in a way. They’re these simple, makeshift architectural spaces constructed in bamboo and covered in colourful cloth that are frequently used for weddings or religious events. The use of cloth and the ways in which this almost translucent light enters and filters through them is rather beautiful. It’s very festive. So the idea was, can I – in an abstract way – bring that into my Pavilion design? How can I bring that memory of a space to London that’s so unique to Bangladesh?

What is your preferred way of working: do you draw, make models and use CAD?

I start with sketches. Then I transfer it to CAD and SketchUp. Plans are very important to me. I spend a lot of time perfecting them before I share it with the team and ask them to develop the idea. Once we finalise the basic ideas, we move to physical models. These are working models that help to finalise the proportions, materials and details. Each step is important for different reasons. 

How do you anticipate people using the Pavilion, what do you hope visitors will take away from their experience?

2024 has been a year marked by intolerance, wars, countless deaths, protests and suppressions. Differences of opinion, respect for cultural diversity and societal norms are at an all-time low in many parts of the world. How can we transcend our differences and connect as humans? The Serpentine Pavilion offers a place where people of diverse backgrounds, ages and cultures can come together under one roof and call for action, facilitating dialogues that expand our boundaries of tolerance and respect. The stage is set, the seats are placed. We envision various events and encounters occurring in this versatile space that unifies people through conversations and connections: book readings, talks, discussions, musical events, all celebrating diversity and unity.  

Can you talk about the concept of your design?

The idea of a time capsule was the starting point. I’m intrigued by the notion of time and architecture, especially in the context of Bangladesh, where architecture and land are constantly moving. I’m interested in the ephemerality of architecture, but a certain sense of continuity at the same time. The Serpentine Pavilions are, to some extent, the same. They exist for a very short period of time. Visitors come in, experience the space and inhabit it. Events, activities and gatherings take place then all of a sudden it’s gone and it’s only presence is in the virtual realm. When I was thinking about approaching the commission, it felt like a capsule in that sense. 

So the Pavilion continues to have this presence – not in the physical sense – but within the virtual realm, when it’s dismantled in October. Even then, people are still able to see it, if not experience it, but at least have that sense of understanding it. Zaha Hadid’s Pavilion, and the others that came after, exist in the virtual realm or one’s memory. In that sense there is a certain kind of continuity. I think that’s where this whole idea of a capsule came into being. I then wanted to create a connection and relationship to the park and the permanence of Serpentine South. These relationships informed the Pavilion’s openness. The kinetic element that we added is also important as it allows the Pavilion to open, close and transform. 

Do you think the Serpentine commission will inform your practice going forward? 

This year marks my 30 years of being in practice. Every commission informs the practice one way or another. That’s how we grow through experiences. We’ll have to wait and see.   

2025 marks a quarter of a century since we started the Pavilion commission – how do you feel about staging A Capsule in Time at this moment?

I feel honoured that A Capsule in Time marks the twenty-fifth year of the Serpentine Pavilion series. Though the focus on time, it’s continuity and the ephemerality of our existence was not connected to the quarter-century celebration of the pavilion, but it does fit quite aptly.   

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Image: Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). Exterior view. © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), Photo Iwan Baan, Courtesy: Serpentine and Marina Tabassum. Photo: © Asif Salman