Lanza Atelier Builds a “Crinkle-Crankle” Wall for the Serpentine Pavilion 

This year’s Serpentine Pavilion is, quite literally, serpentine. Unveiled this week in London’s resplendent Kensington Gardens, the latest iteration of the closely watched architectural commission comes courtesy of Mexico City studio Lanza Atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo. The practice channeled the serpentine—or crinkle-crankle—wall, which defines one side of the structure. Composed of alternating curves, the brick construction originated in ancient Egypt before Dutch engineers introduced it to East Anglia, where many examples still stand, particularly in Suffolk. The undulating geometry provides lateral stability, allowing a wall only one brick wide to consume fewer materials than its straight counterpart. 

The pavilion’s title, a serpentine, also references the nearby Serpentine lake, whose winding outline echoes the silhouette of a serpent. “Inspired by the figure of the serpent as a generative and protective force, we draw a parallel with England’s winding fruit walls, which are structures that temper climate, create shelter, and enable growth,” the Lanza Atelier partners said in a statement. “From this idea emerges a pavilion built of simple clay brick, foregrounding vernacular craft and the elemental capacity of architecture to bring people together.” 

Notably, the partners selected brick as the primary construction material, making their structure the first Serpentine Pavilion constructed in the medium. The choice both nods to England’s longstanding garden traditions and establishes visual connections with the brick façade of Serpentine South, which originally served as a tea pavilion. Repeating brick columns dissolve the enclosure into a series of apertures that frame views of the surrounding lawns and trees, bathing the pavilion in daylight and encouraging movement through its winding plan. The architects also designed the pavilion’s chairs and stools, which were crafted locally from sapele hardwood. Above, a translucent roof hovers on slender brick columns, creating a canopy that filters daylight across the terracotta-hued floor. Nearby snakes a second shorter curving wall.  

“For 25 years, the Serpentine Pavilion has offered something rare, a space where architecture, art, and everyday life meet, free and open in the heart of Hyde Park,” said Bettina Korek, chief executive of Serpentine. “Each commission is an invitation to test ambitious ideas in one of the world’s great public spaces. With Lanza Atelier, we deepen our cultural exchange with Mexico and reaffirm what the Pavilion has always been: a place of connection.” 

Opening June 6, the pavilion will host Serpentine’s annual program of talks, performances, screenings, and public events through October 25. The commission also marks the pavilion’s 25th edition, prompting a broader celebration of its history and of Zaha Hadid, who designed the inaugural structure in 2000. Developed in collaboration with the Zaha Hadid Foundation and the Architectural Association, a two-day symposium will examine the late architect’s life, work, and enduring influence on contemporary design practice. A dedicated architecture program will also take place at The Magazine, the Serpentine North building that Hadid designed. 

As Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist noted, Hadid “gave us our motto that ‘there should be no end to experimentation.’ As we mark the 25th pavilion, we reflect on these origins.” Few commissions have done more to spotlight emerging practitioners. Over the past quarter-century, the Serpentine Pavilion has served as a bellwether for architects with a global perspective and experimental approach, including Diébédo Francis Kéré, Frida Escobedo, Junya Ishigami, Theaster Gates, Sumayya Vally, Lina Ghotmeh, and Marina Tabassum. 

The Serpentine Pavilion will be on view in Kensington Gardens from June 6 through October 25.