One of the things I enjoy most over the summer is cycling across Hyde Park, typically to and from meetings.
My usual route takes me past the Serpentine pavilion, and yesterday was the first time this summer that I stopped to have a look.
( Side note : what a struggle it was to cycle with up to 28 degrees despite the many mature trees along the way.)
Back to the pavilion, I know.
For 2026, the commission went to the Mexico City based practice LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo.
Their design is inspired by the traditional, wavy English garden wall and, I believe, it is the first Serpentine pavilion to be built entirely from bricks. (From Surrey)
Although there have been previous pavilions that I have enjoyed more, this one is a perfect fit for the park in both scale and form. The simplicity and familiarity of the material makes complete sense, and the orange brickwork looked particularly beautiful against the lush green trees.
I really enjoyed the tactile quality of the structure, especially how much the architects were able to achieve with such a limited palette. (These days anywhere you go there are building facades made of a very large number of materials and I often find myself wondering where this trend has come from at a time when the profession is looking at responsible use of resources )
Once more, back to the pavilion, the bricks are laid in vertical stacks with small gaps between them. These gaps allow sunlight, breeze, and playful glimpses of the park to filter through, whilst still providing welcome shade.
When I visited, there was a large group of students listening to a talk about the structure. It was lovely to see the space being actively used and enjoyed.
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