LANZA atelier announced as designers of the Serpentine Pavilion 2026
Serpentine has announced that Mexican architecture studio LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, has been selected to design the Serpentine Pavilion 2026. Sponsored by Goldman Sachs, the Pavilion will open to the public at Serpentine South from 6 June to 25 October 2026, with a press preview on Wednesday 3 June. The commission marks the 25th edition of the Pavilion, a milestone that will be celebrated through a special partnership with the Zaha Hadid Foundation.
Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo of LANZA atelier. Photo: © Pia Riverola
Titled a serpentine, LANZA atelier’s Pavilion takes inspiration from the English serpentine or crinkle-crankle wall, a historic brick structure defined by alternating curves that provide strength through geometry. Referencing both this vernacular form and the nearby Serpentine lake, the Pavilion is conceived as a permeable structure that shapes movement and encounter. The architects said: “Set within a garden, an evocation of the natural world, the project takes the form of a serpentine wall, conceived as a device that both reveals and withholds: shaping movement, modulating rhythm, and framing thresholds of proximity, orientation, and pause.”
Serpentine Pavilion 2026 a serpentine, designed by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, LANZA atelier. Design render, aerial view. © LANZA atelier. Courtesy Serpentine.
Constructed primarily from brick, the Pavilion establishes a dialogue with the existing façade of Serpentine South, highlighting the English garden tradition while bridging geographies between Europe and the Americas. A translucent roof rests lightly on brick columns, allowing light and air to flow through the space. Abascal and Arienzo added: “From this idea emerges a pavilion built of simple clay brick, foregrounding vernacular craft and the elemental capacity of architecture to bring people together.”
Serpentine Pavilion 2026 a serpentine, designed by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, LANZA atelier. Design render, aerial view. © LANZA atelier. Courtesy Serpentine.
Reflecting on the announcement, Bettina Korek, Chief Executive of Serpentine, said: “For 25 years, the Serpentine Pavilion has been a leading global platform for architectural experimentation - first inviting internationally significant architects yet to build in London, and later championing emerging voices.” Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, said: “Over the last 10 years the Serpentine Pavilion has increasingly focussed on giving opportunities to younger architectural practices.” Throughout the summer and until October 2026, the Pavilion will host Serpentine’s live programme of talks, performances and events, continuing its role as a civic space for exchange and experimentation.
Date: 6 June – 25 October 2026. Location: Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London, W2 3XA. serpentinegalleries.org
