A Landmark Moment: Marina Tabassum Designs 25th Serpentine Pavilion

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion commission, the 2025 edition, ‘A Capsule in Time,’ opened to the public earlier this month. Designed by acclaimed Bangladeshi architect and educator Marina Tabassum and her firm, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), the pavilion stands as a powerful tribute to architectural experimentation. Supported for the 11th consecutive year by Goldman Sachs, this year’s structure honours the legacy of Zaha Hadid, one of the first architects to design the same pavilion and whose belief that “there should be no end to experimentation” continues to define the pavilion’s spirit. Invited by Invited by Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Tabassum’s design is both a celebration of that ethos and a bold statement of her architectural vision.

A Bangladeshi architect and educator, Tabassum, is well known for her design of the ‘Bait Ur Rouf Mosque,’ completed in 2012. This space has garnered attention for challenging the status quo of traditional mosque designs. Using Islamic symbolism in design but spirituality as refuge at its core, the red-bricked structure in Dhaka won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. In her work, Tabassum strives to lay the foundations for a space that is strongly rooted in place through climate, context, and cultural awareness. With the mosque, she uses light and open spaces to push the idea that religious spaces can also serve as a refuge from urban noise and a place for community. She also worked with Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury of URBANA on the Museum of Independence in Dhaka, which opened to the public in 2015. It is the country’s first and only underground museum.

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Since receiving the prestigious Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) title in 2021, Marina Tabassum has continued to earn international recognition. Her accolades include being named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, one of ‘Time’ magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024, and a three-time finalist for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, including a nomination this year. The Serpentine Pavilion comes as no surprise, given her steady rise to global acclaim through meaningful work. MTA’s work is known for being environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and historically and culturally appropriate. In addition to building, they also engage with research on the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh.

The pavilion is a prestigious annual commission, awarded to an architect who has never previously completed a permanent building in London, yet has made a significant impact on contemporary architecture. Situated in Kensington Gardens, this year’s structure is made entirely of glulam wood and polycarbonate panels. Its design explores the sensory potential of light, creating an immersive experience. The elongated form, centered around a Ginkgo tree, invites visitors to engage with the tactile qualities of materials, using contrasts of light and shadow, as well as shifts in height and volume, to enhance the journey through the space. As ever, architecture acts as a bridge—connecting generations and cultures across time.

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Tabassum is interested in the notion of time. Always acutely aware of context, Tabassum designed the pavilion to create an experience of change over the next five months as people engage with the pavilion. While the design is temporary, her contribution to Kensington Garden and the Serpentine will be permanent. To her, it is a celebration of power and defies the notion of time, much like houses in Bangladesh in the delta — they move with climate change and political unrest– but the story is passed on through oral recitation across generations. The feeling within the space is likened to the sentiments associated with setting up a shamiana or marquee in South Asia, which is often associated with communal gatherings. In the same vein, Tabassum hopes to create a public space for interactions and engagement. 

Future programming includes the release of a catalogue that will accompany the pavilion, which will bring together contributions from the field of art and architecture with contributions from artists Rana Begum and Naeem Mohaimen. The space more recently played host to ‘The Summer Party,’ the Serpentine’s annual fundraising event.

The Pavilion is on view at the Serpentine South from 6 June to 26 October 2025. Free admission, make sure you check www.serpentinegalleries.org for hours.