A new and unusual building has just appeared in London. It is the Serpentine Pavilion 2026, called a serpentine, and it opened on June 6, 2026, at Serpentine South in Kensington Gardens. Visitors can enter for free until October 25, 2026. This year is special because it is the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, an important annual project that invites architects to create a temporary building in the park. (serpentinegalleries.org)
The pavilion was designed by LANZA atelier, a studio from Mexico City founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo. Their idea comes from an old English wall style called a “serpentine” or “crinkle-crankle” wall. Instead of going straight, the wall moves in soft waves. According to Serpentine, this curved form is strong and can stand with fewer bricks than a straight wall. That is why the new pavilion looks like a long brick snake moving across the grass. (serpentinegalleries.org)
The building is simple, but it has many beautiful details. Its south wall is made from the wavy brick form, while the north side curves around the nearby trees. A light, translucent roof lets in air and sunlight, so the space feels open, not closed. The roof stands on brick columns that are meant to remind people of a small group of trees. The architects also chose brick to connect the pavilion with English garden history and with the brick face of the Serpentine South Gallery nearby. (serpentinegalleries.org)
What makes this pavilion interesting is that it does not try to be flashy. It uses a very common material—brick—but gives it fresh energy through movement, light, and shape. For English learners, it is a nice example of how one simple idea can become something surprising. A wall is usually a thing that stops us, but in this pavilion, the wall guides us, invites us in, and makes us curious to keep walking. (serpentinegalleries.org)
