Mexican architecture studio LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, is appointed to design the Serpentine Pavilion 2026. Titled ‘a serpentine’, the pavilion will open to the public on June 6th, 2026, at Serpentine South in London’s Kensington Gardens. The announcement coincides with the Pavilion’s 25th edition, which Serpentine will mark through a special collaboration with the Zaha Hadid Foundation, reflecting on the legacy of the inaugural pavilion designed by Hadid in 2000.

LANZA atelier’s proposal draws from the serpentine, or crinkle-crankle, wall, a historic English architectural feature composed of alternating curves. Originally developed in ancient Egypt and later introduced to England by Dutch engineers, the serpentine wall gains its structural stability from its geometry, allowing it to be only one brick thick while maintaining strength. 

Serpentine Pavilion 2026 a serpentine, designed by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, LANZA atelier | design renders © LANZA atelier. courtesy Serpentine

a serpentine is shaped by curves, climate, and movement

The pavilion is positioned on the northern side of the site and structured through two main walls. One traces the serpentine geometry, while the other aligns with the existing tree canopy. A translucent roof rests lightly on brick columns, evoking a grove of trees and allowing light and air to move freely through the structure. 

Brick is used as the primary material, referencing both the English garden tradition and the existing brick facade of the Serpentine South Gallery, which was originally a tea pavilion itself. Through rhythmic repetition, the brick columns transition from opaque to permeable, creating a gradient of openness. LANZA atelier frames this material strategy as a metaphorical bridge between Europe and the Americas, linking vernacular traditions through shared construction logics rather than symbolic gestures. According to the architectural duo, the project is conceived as ‘a device that both reveals and withholds,’ shaping how people move through space. They draw parallels with England’s fruit walls, which historically moderated climate and created sheltered micro-environments. From this lineage emerges a Pavilion built from simple clay brick, foregrounding what the architects describe as ‘the elemental capacity of architecture to bring people together.’

LANZA atelier’s proposal draws a historic English architectural feature composed of alternating curves

a platform for cultural exchange and experimentation

Since its inception, the Serpentine Pavilion has served as a platform for architectural experimentation, offering architects a rare opportunity to test ideas in a public, open-access context. Over time, the commission has evolved from a one-off structure into a broader cultural infrastructure, hosting lectures, performances, screenings, and interdisciplinary events. 

Serpentine CEO Bettina Korek frames the Pavilion as a structure that extends beyond its physical form, connecting people, landscape, and ideas. Artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist emphasizes the institution’s increasing focus on younger practices over the past decade, describing LANZA atelier’s work as deeply embedded in material, context, and lived experience. Their pavilion, he notes, will function as a ‘content machine,’ hosting live events across disciplines throughout the summer and autumn.

The 2026 edition will also include a dedicated architectural program developed in collaboration with the Zaha Hadid Foundation. This initiative aims to reflect on Hadid’s legacy while fostering transnational and transgenerational dialogue around contemporary architectural questions. Former Pavilion architects will be invited to contribute, linking the Pavilion’s history to its future trajectories.

the serpentine wall gains its structural stability from its geometry

the pavilion is positioned on the northern side of the site and structured through two main walls

conceptual sketch, worm’s eye view | image © LANZA atelier. Courtesy Serpentine.

Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo of LANZA atelier | image © Pia Riverola

project info: 

name: a serpentine
architect: LANZA atelier | @lanzaatelier

lead architects: Isabel Abascal, Alessandro Arienzo
location: Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London, UK

event: Serpentine Pavilion | @serpentineuk
opening date: June 6th, 2026

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Cappella del Suono is a small-scale architectural installation located in the grain fields of Italy’s Marche region. Positioned on a hillside, the pavilion is designed as a lightweight wooden structure that maintains a close relationship with its surrounding landscape. Developed by Studio Carraldo, the project was realized independently in the summer of 2025 after being selected as the winning entry of the Festival di Microarchitettura. The pavilion is also among the twelve nominated projects for the Klimahouse Wood Architecture Prize 2025.

The structure is composed of a regular grid of vertical wooden slats that define the spatial enclosure while remaining visually permeable. The slats are suspended at varying lengths, forming an irregular lower edge that softens the boundary between architecture and landscape. Perforations integrated at the ends of selected elements introduce an acoustic dimension, allowing the pavilion to respond to wind conditions. As air moves through the structure, the wooden components interact to produce layered sound effects, which vary in intensity depending on wind strength and direction. Under certain conditions, the sound recalls the distant bells of the nearby Convento di Monte Illuminato.

all images by Jonas Zauels

Studio Carraldo’s Pavilion is Defined by Light and Landscape

Light and shadow play a central role in shaping the spatial experience. The open arrangement of the slats allows sunlight to pass through the structure, creating changing patterns throughout the day and reinforcing the pavilion’s temporal and environmental responsiveness. Structurally, the installation rests on slender vertical supports anchored directly into the ground, minimizing impact on the site and reinforcing the project’s temporary character. Studio Carraldo’s material choices further support this approach. The use of untreated wood allows the structure to weather naturally and visually integrate with the surrounding grain fields. Rather than asserting itself as an object, the pavilion maintains a low visual profile and reads as an architectural extension of the landscape.

Cappella del Suono is conceived as a permeable architectural space, defined enough to establish a place while remaining open to environmental forces. A built-in bench extends from the interior toward the exterior, supporting different modes of occupation and allowing visitors to engage with the pavilion through rest, observation, and listening.

participation with a local piano maker from Lunano

when the wind is calm, the Cappella del Suono reads like a monolith

dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and transparency

the structure appears to grow directly out of the surrounding grain fields

in interaction with the wind, the structure comes alive

the bench encourages resting and experiencing the surrounding field of slats

through varying lengths and precise perforations, the slats create a layered acoustic effect

the sound slats are suspended by delicate threads, letting them sway freely in the wind

the pavilion creates an permeable architectural space open to environmental forces

project info:

name: Cappella del Suono

architect: Studio Carraldo | @studio.carraldo
design team: Franka Ruhnau, Jonas Rosenfelder, Luis Navarro, Valentin Fick, David Zauels
location: Marche, Italy

photographer: Jonas Zauels | @blackbvrds

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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The Beach Temporary Theater is an 18-day outdoor installation designed by Re-Enchantment Design for Midsummer 2025, an annual cultural event that combines film, music, folk traditions, and contemporary art. Commissioned by KwanTeo, the project was developed as a temporary coastal space capable of accommodating multiple programs, including a theater, stage, exhibition area, and public garden.

The site is located along the coast of the Chaoshan region in Guangdong Province, China, an area characterized by distinct local customs, languages, and social practices. Since 2015, the surrounding area has undergone rapid transformation from farmland and villages into a resort-oriented development. Despite this shift, local villagers continue to access and use the beach daily, resulting in a shared environment occupied by residents, workers, and visitors. This condition informed the project’s aim to operate as a flexible public space that supports varied forms of use.

During preliminary field research, the design team identified a long-standing local construction method based on temporary bamboo sheds traditionally used for ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. These structures are lightweight, adaptable to coastal climate conditions, and designed for repeated assembly and reuse. Based on these findings, the project adopted bamboo as a primary material and invited local villagers with experience in this construction method to participate in the design and building process.

all images courtesy of ©Re-enchantment Design unless stated otherwise

Instant Squatter Hut Combines Vernacular and Industrial Design

Rather than replicating historical forms, the project by Re-Enchantment Design Studio extracts key spatial and structural characteristics of traditional squatter huts, including elevated stilted construction suited to land–water boundaries, open frameworks, and clustered settlement arrangements. These principles were reinterpreted through a hybrid system that combines industrial layer trusses with vernacular bamboo scaffolding. The steel truss system serves as the primary structural layer, providing stability under variable coastal weather conditions, including typhoons, while enabling rapid assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration. The bamboo scaffolding was constructed collaboratively with local builders and integrated as a secondary, adaptable layer. The spatial layout is organized through modular program units, including an open-air cinema, performance stage, leisure areas, pop-up retail spaces, and workshop zones. These elements are arranged to form an interconnected and permeable environment that supports overlapping activities and informal social interaction. The resulting configuration functions as a temporary public living space rather than a single-purpose venue.

Material reuse was incorporated as a core design strategy from the outset. All bamboo elements were planned for disassembly and collection after the event, allowing them to be reused by local builders for future constructions. By adopting the construction logic of temporary settlements, the project proposes a cyclical approach to material use and a symbiotic relationship between design intervention, local knowledge, and environmental context.

Through its integration of vernacular construction techniques, modular contemporary systems, and collaborative building processes, The Beach Temporary Theater presents a temporary architecture that engages with local practices while accommodating contemporary cultural programming. The project positions temporary design as a means of connecting local communities, visitors, and evolving coastal landscapes through shared spatial and material frameworks.

Beach Temporary Theater designed by Re-Enchantment Design for Midsummer 2025

multi-program space combining theater, stage, exhibition, and garden

built within a shared beach environment used by locals and visitors

the project draws from traditional squatter hut construction principles

hybrid system combines steel trusses and bamboo scaffolding | image courtesy of ©KwanTeo

modular layout supports cinema, performance, and public activities | image courtesy of ©KwanTeo

elevated stilted structures respond to land-water conditions

steel trusses provide structural stability in coastal weather

bamboo scaffolding forms a flexible, secondary structural layer

all bamboo elements are designed for disassembly and reuse

project info:

name: The Beach Temporary Theater

architect: Re-enchantment Design (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
lead designers: Ji Jing & Zhenlin Wen

location: Chaoshan, Guangdong Province, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Arkhive is a full-scale pavilion developed by master’s students from the Design for Manufacture (DfM) program at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. The project explores robotic fabrication and reconfigurable construction systems through an adaptable timber truss structure assembled using interlocking joinery.

The pavilion was conceived as a demonstrator for construction systems that can be fully disassembled, reconfigured, and reused. Designed and built by students and staff, the free-standing structure is organized around two twisting timber arches anchored to steel plinths. These arches are stabilised by robotically assembled ladder-beam trusses, which brace the leaning geometry and define the pavilion’s structural logic.

The ladder-beam system is composed of a bespoke arrangement of standardized timber rails and cam-lock connections. This system allows individual components to be assembled, disassembled, and recombined without material loss, supporting adaptability over multiple configurations. The components were fabricated and assembled using two industrial robotic arms, enabling a level of precision beyond manual construction and reinforcing an automation-led approach to timber building.

all images courtesy of UCL Bartlett School of Architecture

A Modular Timber Prototype for Reuse and Reconfiguration

By combining robotic fabrication with reversible joinery, Arkhive functions as a prototype for modular timber construction that prioritizes material efficiency and long-term reuse. The structure operates as a ‘material bank,’ in which components retain value and can be redeployed in future architectural applications.

The project was led by design tutors Ben Spong and Pradeep Devadass, with program direction by Peter Scully from the Design for Manufacture M.Arch program at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture. The design team included students Matías Ramírez Muñoz, Hakyeong Jeon, Victoria Arancibia Retes, and Jawad Soueid from the 2023–2024 DfM cohort, working in collaboration with structural engineers from Price & Myers.

Arkhive was first assembled and exhibited at The Bartlett’s Fifteen Show in 2024. Following the exhibition, the timber arches were refined, redesigned, and re-fabricated. The final iteration was installed at St Andrews Botanic Garden in Scotland in summer 2025 by the 2024–2025 DfM cohort, where the pavilion was used as a venue for public events. The project illustrates the Bartlett’s Design for Manufacture program’s emphasis on integrating design research, digital fabrication, and full-scale construction within an academic setting.

Arkhive is a full-scale pavilion developed by students from UCL’s Design for Manufacture program

the pavilion explores robotic fabrication through a reconfigurable timber truss system

the project was conceived as a demonstrator for disassembly and reuse in construction

two twisting timber arches form the primary structural elements of the pavilion

interlocking joinery enables the structure to be assembled without permanent fixings

the truss system is composed of standardized timber rails and cam-lock connections

leaning geometry is stabilised by robotically assembled ladder-beam trusses

reversible joints support adaptability across multiple future configurations

the pavilion demonstrates an automation-led approach to timber building

robotic assembly enables a high level of precision beyond manual construction

the structure is conceived as a material bank for long-term reuse

project info:

name: Arkhive
architect: Design for Manufacture, Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London

students: DfM cohort of 2023-2024 (Matías Ramírez Muñoz, Hakyeong Jeon, Victoria Arancibia Retes, Jawad Soueid), DfM cohort of 2024-2025 (Anuj Bajaj, Chao-lin Cheng, Hongkun Chen, Iqbal Utomo, Jun Myung, Longfei Ma, Nour Beydoun, Petra Li, Pongpreedee Chaveegoolrat, Qiyang Zhu, Shengtong Liu, Sibei Chen, Sihan Liu, Tong Wu, Xujie Shen, Yanzhu Che, Yuan Gao, Yuntian Ma, Yuxuan Zhou, Zining Zhu, Zishan Huang, Ziyue Wu)

B-made workshops & labs: Hamish Veitch, Yaoyao Meng, Guillem Perutxet Olesti, Melis Van den Berg, Samuel Turner-Baldwin, Claudia Toma, Adam Meyrick, Costa Harrison, Mark Burrows

structural engineers: Bedir Bekar, Tim Lucas, Giulio Gianni, Price & Myers

plywood sponsor: Ben Price, Plykea – Here East

screw pile foundation contractor: Radix Group, Dundee Scotland

project partner: Harry Watkins, St Andrews Botanic Garden

design tutors: Ben Spong, Pradeep Devadass

program director: Peter Scully

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Resting Loop with Views is a small pavilion project by HCCH Studio located on a stone platform within the mountainous landscape of Mount Luofu, China. Positioned between a highway and a parallel river, the site previously functioned as a buffer zone and informal parking area at a sharp roadway curve. The project redefines this residual space as a rest stop and viewing point for cyclists, providing facilities for bicycle parking and refreshments while establishing a new spatial relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The pavilion takes the form of a circular concrete ring elevated above a sunken plaza. This donut-shaped structure has an outer diameter of approximately 16 meters and is intersected by a series of vertical cuts that create oval openings oriented toward different views. These openings overlap spatially, framing perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky. The design organizes two levels of circulation: a lower level that accommodates seating and café-related activities, and an upper level that functions as a continuous looped promenade offering elevated views across the site.

Resting Loop with Views sits on a stone platform within the landscape of Mount Luofu | image by ArchExist

HCCH Studio uses bamboo to cast the concrete ring’s exterior

Shanghai-based practice HCCH Studio positions three supporting concrete volumes within the sunken plaza beneath the ring. These house a small café, a public restroom, and a storage space. Openings in the volumes are aligned to create visual connections between interior and exterior spaces, reinforcing spatial continuity across the site. The volumes are finished with a dark, hammered surface that visually relates to the stone paving of the plaza and to sculptural seating elements, ‘Social Stone,’ by artist SU Chang.

Material treatment plays a key role in articulating the pavilion’s relationship to its natural context. The exterior surface of the concrete ring was cast in situ using bamboo-textured formwork, with raised bamboo sections approximately 7 centimeters in diameter. This textured finish references local vegetation and introduces a tactile quality to the exterior. In contrast, the interior surface of the ring is smooth and continuous, producing a more abstract spatial experience. The transition between these two finishes is emphasized along the edges of the oval openings, where irregular profiles accentuate the contrast between texture and smoothness.

the pavilion occupies a former buffer zone between a highway and a parallel river | image by ArchExist

Although initially conceived as a quiet intervention within the mountainous landscape, the pavilion has become a popular stop for cyclists and visitors. Its visibility from the roadway and its elevated views have transformed the former buffer zone into an active public space that accommodates movement, rest, and observation within the creekside environment.

previously used as informal parking, the site has been redefined as a rest stop for cyclists | image by ArchExist

the donut-shaped structure measures approximately 16 meters in outer diameter | image by ArchExist

the project introduces a viewing point that connects infrastructure with landscape | image by ArchExist

vertical cuts slice through the ring to create oval openings oriented toward key views | image by ArchExist

the openings frame perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky | image by ArchExist

overlapping cutouts generate layered sightlines and spatial depth | image by ArchExist

the pavilion is formed as a circular concrete ring elevated above a sunken plaza | image by ArchExist

the design organizes circulation across two distinct levels | image by Fangfang Tian

the exterior concrete surface is cast using bamboo-textured formwork | image by Fangfang Tian

the upper level functions as a continuous looped promenade | image by Fangfang Tian

a smooth interior finish contrasts with the textured exterior along the oval edges | image by Fangfang Tian

three concrete volumes are positioned beneath the ring within the sunken plaza | image by Fangfang Tian

HCCH Studio’s ring pavilion has become an active public stop for cyclists and visitors | image by Fangfang Tian

the lower level accommodates seating and café-related activities | image by Fangfang Tian

the volumes house a café, a public restroom, and a storage space | image by Fangfang Tian

openings align across the volumes to create visual continuity through the site | image by Guowei Liu

dark hammered concrete finishes relate to the stone paving of the plaza | image by Guowei Liu

the public space accommodates movement, rest, and observation within the creekside | image by Qingyan Zhu

project info:

name: Resting Loop with Views, a Creekside Pavilion among Hills

architect: HCCH Studio | @hcchstudio

design team: Hao Chen, Chenchen Hu, Jiaqi Liu, Yazhou Ding, Feng Qi

structure: iStructure

contractor: Wenzhou Zhengyi Engineering

client: Fengyuzhu Culture&Tech

location: Mount. Luofu of Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China

photographers: Fangfang Tian, ArchExist, Guowei Liu, Qingyan Zhu

videographer: Fangfang Tian

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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River Chapel, La Barca brings the silhouette of an overturned boat to the mountains of Piobbico, Le Porte del Vitoschio in Italy, forming the winning installation of the 2025 Festival di Microarchitettura. Designed by Marina Poli, Clément Molinier, and Philippe Paumelle, the compact timber pavilion interrupts a hiking path with a narrow fissure that invites visitors to slip inside a hull-like space open to the sky.

all images © Clément Molinier

La Barca blurs the lines between chapel, shelter, and shipwreck

Once entered, the project by Marina Poli, Clément Molinier, and Philippe Paumelle reveals its layered nautical references: a central timber keel organizes a rhythmic sequence of floor timbers, while the open roof draws daylight into the interior cavity. The elongated volume aligns with the trail, guiding movement toward a tapered bow anchored by a stone taken from the site. Six porticoes define the main corridor, bordered by plank walls and framed at both ends by curved half-hulls. The ribs, cut from boards and assembled in a sandwich structure, express the chapel’s lightweight construction, while four local stones act as ballast and tie the installation to its surroundings.

La Barca offers a brief pause along the path, oscillating between the typologies of chapel, shelter, and shipwreck. Visitors read it variously as a boat, a sculptural refuge, a climbing form, or an enigmatic presence embedded in the landscape, an intentional ambiguity that shapes the encounter.

River Chapel, La Barca takes the shape of an overturned boat

the compact timber pavilion interrupts a hiking path

visitors read it variously as a boat, a sculptural refuge, or a climbing form

La Barca offers a brief pause along the path

the structure invites visitors to slip inside a hull-like space open to the sky

a central timber keel organizes a rhythmic sequence of floor timbers

the open roof draws daylight into the interior cavity

the ribs express the chapel’s lightweight construction

River Chapel oscillates between the typologies of chapel, shelter, and shipwreck

an enigmatic presence embedded in the landscape

La Barca is the winning installation of the 2025 Festival di Microarchitettura

project info:

name: River Chapel, La Barca
architect: Marina Poli | @marina_poli_, Clément Molinier | @clement_molinier, Philippe Paumelle | @philippepaumell

location: Piobbico, Le Porte del Vitoschio

event: Festival di Microarchittetura | @festivalmicroarchitettura 

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For the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Cheng Tsung FENG developed Temple: Flame Tree, an installation inspired by the royal poinciana, the official city tree of Taiwan. Known for its vivid red blossoms that mark the summer season and accompany local graduation traditions, the flame tree serves as the project’s conceptual foundation.

The pavilion translates the tree’s characteristic form into a large-scale spatial structure composed of bent wooden planks and a metal support frame. These elements create five fan-shaped components arranged in a pentagonal configuration around a central circular platform. The composition references the spreading canopy of a mature flame tree while establishing a defined spatial enclosure. Subtle gold detailing along the edges enhances the structural outline and responds to both daylight and nighttime illumination.

all images by FIXER Photographic Studio

Cheng Tsung FENG Designs Pavilion for Gathering and Public Use

Access to the central platform is provided through five stairways positioned between the structural ‘petals.’ Outside performance periods, visitors are able to move through the installation, entering the interior space formed by the radiating elements. This approach positions the work as both a sculptural object and an accessible public environment.

Through its geometric layout, material selection, and layered lighting effects, Temple: Flame Tree by Taiwanese artist Cheng Tsung FENG connects the symbolic role of the flame tree with spatial practices associated with ritual and gathering. The installation functions as a temporary architectural landmark, situating cultural references within a contemporary framework for public interaction.

Temple: Flame Tree installation, designed for the Taiwan Lantern Festival

bent wooden planks form the fan-like structural components

the pavilion draws inspiration from the royal poinciana’s branching canopy

five radiating ‘petals’ create a pentagonal spatial layout

a metal support frame anchors the large-scale wooden structure

stairways between the petals guide visitors toward the interior space

gold-edged detailing highlights the outline of each structural petal

daylight emphasizes the texture of the bent timber surfaces

visitors can walk through the radiating structure outside performance times

the central circular platform serves as the core of the installation

timber curvature showcases traditional bending techniques in a contemporary form

the installation creates a sheltered environment for gathering and reflection

the installation functions as both sculpture and temporary architecture

project info:

name: Temple: Flame Tree

artist: Cheng Tsung FENG | @chengtsungfeng

event: Taiwan Lantern Festival

location: THSR Display Zone, Tainan, Taiwan

adviser: Ministry of Transportation and Communications

organizer: Tainan City Government

curator: Urban Art Studio

project design: Chan Wei HSU, Hong Lin LIU, Sheng WANG

structural analysis: Chien Chuan Engineering Consulting Co.

woodwork: Weige Interior

metalwork: Wen Chin HSU

lighting design: Oude Light

lighting engineer: Beamtec Lighting

photographer: FIXER Photographic Studio | @fixer_photographic_studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Pavilions are architecture’s fast, experimental structures that test ideas long before they scale up to cities. This year’s highlights push that spirit further, blurring the lines between sculpture, shelter, ritual space, and ecological device. From bamboo vaults rising in flood-prone villages to inflatable dream temples, from wind-driven feather structures on remote islands to LEGO-built playscapes in London, the pavilion becomes a tool for storytelling.

Across the ten projects, a set of shared themes emerges: material reinvention, circular design, and a renewed focus on community. Bread waste becomes structure, bamboo becomes climate infrastructure, and woven rattan becomes a water-harvesting system. Some pavilions introduce new behaviors, gathering, dreaming, resting, learning, while others revive old rituals like bathing or communal reading. What ties them together is their willingness to ask what a temporary space can do, and how it can shift our relationship to place, resources, and each other. Here are ten pavilions reshaping how we think about space.

LINA GHOTMEH’S EXPO PAVILION TAKES GOLD IN OSAKA

image courtesy of Lina Ghotmeh—Architecture

Lina Ghotmeh—Architecture designs the Bahrain Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka, crafting a timber-and-aluminum structure inspired by the nation’s traditional dhow boats and its long maritime history. Positioned along the waterfront in the Expo’s Empowering Lives zone, the pavilion bridges Bahraini boat-building heritage with Japanese wood craftsmanship, expressing cultural exchange through material and form. The structure reinterprets millennia-old construction techniques with a lightweight wooden frame, an aluminum outer layer, and passive cooling strategies that reduce mechanical energy use.

Designed for disassembly and reuse after the Expo, the pavilion embodies Bahrain’s commitment to sustainability and craft-driven innovation. The structure received the Gold Award for Best Architecture and Landscape in the Self-Built category, recognizing Ghotmeh’s precise, contextual approach and the pavilion’s refined expression of Bahrain’s cultural and environmental heritage.

read more here

SIR PETER COOK’S LEGO PLAY PAVILION FOR THE SERPENTINE

The Play Pavilion, designed by Peter Cook (Peter Cook Studio Crablab), in collaboration with Serpentine and the LEGO Group © Peter Cook (Peter Cook Studio Crablab) | images courtesy of Serpentine; photos by Andy Stagg, unless stated otherwise

Serpentine and the LEGO Group’s Play Pavilion by Sir Peter Cook, installed in London’s Kensington Gardens, is a bright, bowl-shaped structure wrapped in orange and animated with LEGO-built topographies. The exterior walls of the pavilion rise and dip like a shifting landscape, inviting visitors to touch the tactile brick formations before stepping inside.

Sunlight filters through gaps between the roof and base, filling the interior with natural light while maintaining a breezy, open feel. A towering central pillar, assembled from LEGO bricks, anchors the space like a watchful robotic figure. Visitors are encouraged to play, build, and modify the pavilion in real time through an interactive brick wall and a trove of LEGO pieces. Multiple openings frame views of the garden, while a yellow slide offers a playful exit route.

read more here

SIX-SEAT FOREST BAR PAVILION BY ELMGREEN & DRAGSET 

images by Andrea Rossetti, courtesy of Khao Yai Art

Elmgreen & Dragset unveil K-BAR, a six-seat cocktail pavilion tucked deep within Thailand’s Khao Yai Art Forest, inserting an urban typology into a remote natural setting. Appearing most days as a charcoal-gray sculptural object amid dense foliage, the pavilion occasionally comes to life: visitors arriving at the right moment are guided through the forest to find the bar glowing from within.

Inside, stainless steel surfaces, dark wood, red leather stools, terrazzo flooring, and a backlit display channel the intimacy of classic metropolitan bars. A permanently installed 1996 painting by Martin Kippenberger, visible even when the bar is closed, anchors the installation, paying homage to the artist’s legacy and echoing Elmgreen & Dragset’s long-standing interest in ‘denials,’ functional forms that resist predictable use.

Open only once a month, K-BAR plays with visibility, access, and displacement, placing a European artwork in a Southeast Asian forest as a subtle inversion of museum repatriation debates. As part of the newly launched Khao Yai Art Forest, the pavilion underscores the initiative’s mission to merge contemporary art with ecological immersion, offering an unexpected moment of encounter in one of Thailand’s most pristine environments.

read more here 

LEOPOLD BANCHINI INSTALLS TIMBER BATHHOUSE IN SPAIN

image by Gregori Civera

Leopold Banchini Architects installs Round About Baths at the Concéntrico Festival in Logroño, Spain, transforming the center of a traffic roundabout into a temporary public bathhouse. The circular timber structure reclaims an overlooked urban void, introducing cold-water basins, steam rooms, and changing areas that revive the communal spirit of historic public baths.

Built with a standard timber frame and clad in uncut wooden panels intended for reuse, the pavilion emphasizes material efficiency and circularity. High perimeter walls provide privacy while clearly marking the intervention within the car-dominated landscape, prompting visitors to reconsider how urban land is allocated and who it serves. By situating a shared bathing environment at the heart of a vehicular crossroads, Round About Baths challenges conventional urban hierarchies and highlights the potential of underutilized spaces. Once dismantled, the site returns to its previous state, but the project leaves behind a conceptual proposal.

read more here 

TOGUNA WORLD’S NOMADIC PAVILION LANDS IN ATHENS

all images courtesy of Toguna World

Toguna World’s immersive nomadic pavilion, The Sanctuary of Dreams, combines film, ritual, and collective storytelling within an inflatable structure presented as part of Plásmata 3 | We’ve met before, haven’t we? in Athens. Rooted in African philosophies of cyclical time and ancestral memory, the space invites visitors to enter barefoot and step into a meditative environment where a 44-minute, three-channel art film brings together animation, collage, soundscapes, and archival textures.

After the screening, participants join a guided reflection circle, contributing their visions to The Global Mapping of Dreams, a growing archive of future imaginaries from across Africa and its diaspora. Designed by Pierre-Christophe Gam, the pavilion functions as a contemporary ritual space, featuring dimmable lighting, scent, modular cushions, and spatial audio that shape an intimate environment for collective visioning. 

read more here

MERO STUDIOS BUILDS A PAVILION FROM 780 LEFTOVER BAGUETTES

all images by Paul Kozlowski

MERO Studios builds Paysage de Pain, a public pavilion made from 780 salvaged baguettes, turning surplus bread into a tactile, aromatic structure within the courtyard of Montpellier’s Hôtel de Lunas. Developed with the nonprofit Pain de L’Espoir, the installation reframes food waste as a spatial material, highlighting the staggering amount of unsold bread discarded daily in France.

Visitors move through warm, dough-scented walls that crack and age under the sun, transforming the pavilion into a living metaphor for nourishment, excess, and decay. Through its texture, smell, and temporal fragility, Paysage de Pain becomes a sensory monument to resourcefulness.

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FEATHER-BLADE SEASIDE PAVILION SWAYS ON CHAISHAN ISLAND 

image by Liang Wenjun

GN Architects’ Seaside Pavilion brings new life to the abandoned pier of Chaishan Island, introducing a wind-driven structure whose long white blades sway gently above the water. Designed as part of the Hello, Island revitalization initiative, the pavilion acts as a symbolic arrival point, a contemporary echo of traditional village entrances where large trees once anchored community gatherings.

Suspended from a prefabricated steel frame, 36 seven-meter blades move with the sea breeze, creating a rhythmic, feather-like choreography that mirrors the quiet landscape of the island. The installation repurposes the old cargo pier into a resting and meeting place for the elderly residents. Built with corrosion-resistant materials and high-strength fishing ropes for durability, the pavilion balances engineering precision with a sense of lightness. Its movement shifts from subtle to visible depending on the wind, transforming the site into a landmark that reconnects Chaishan’s past, present, and future through motion and placemaking.

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MARINA TABASSUM’S 2025 SERPENTINE PAVILION OPENS IN LONDON

Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). exterior view. © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) | image by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine

Marina Tabassum Architects’ A Capsule in Time was the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, a modular timber structure that explores impermanence, light, and temporality within London’s Kensington Gardens. Composed of four translucent capsules aligned with Serpentine South’s historic bell tower, the pavilion filters daylight into shifting patterns, echoing the hydrologic landscapes of Bangladesh, where land continually forms, dissolves, and reappears.

A kinetic capsule allows sections of the pavilion to expand for public programs, while a ginkgo tree anchors the interior as a living symbol of resilience. Built entirely from wood and translucent polycarbonate, materials chosen for their reuse potential, the project embraces dry construction and adaptability, ensuring the pavilion continues its life beyond the summer season. Integrated bookshelves house a curated selection of texts spanning Bengali literature, ecology, and identity, including works banned in Bangladesh. Tabassum frames the pavilion as a place of quiet resistance and shared knowledge, offering a contemplative environment where ideas can circulate freely. 

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BAMBOO PAVILION ANCHORS YASMEEN LARI’S PONO VILLAGE

all images courtesy of Nyami Studio

Nyami Studio and Jack Rankin complete the Juliet Center in Sindh, Pakistan, a bamboo pavilion that anchors Yasmeen Lari’s zero-carbon Pono Village, a prototype community built in response to the devastating 2022 floods. The lightweight vaulted structure is shaped from bamboo, mud, lime, and thatch, translating vernacular forms into a modular, climate-resilient space designed for communal use. The pavilion offers an open, flexible environment for workshops, gatherings, and training programs, supporting Lari’s mission to empower local residents, particularly women, through hands-on construction and craft skills.

Two interlocking vaults span widely without internal columns, creating a breathable interior that can be adapted or expanded as the village evolves. Built using a combination of digital precision and traditional techniques, the project demonstrates how low-carbon materials can achieve structural complexity and durability in extreme climates. Hand-made mud tiles line the floor, and a woven thatch roof of locally harvested grass provides protection from heat and monsoon rains. 

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RAD+AR BUILDS WOVEN-BAMBOO CHICKEN COOP IN JAKARTA 

images courtesy of RAD+ar

RAD+ar designs the Chicken Hero Pavilion in Urban Forest Jakarta, carving a low, hill-like form into the landscape to house an educational chicken coop disguised as part of the terrain. The pavilion merges ecological performance with community engagement, inviting visitors through a tunnel-like opening into a space that promotes backyard poultry farming as a sustainable household practice. Inside, reclaimed bamboo forms a ventilated, daylight-filled structure optimized for animal comfort and waste management.

The pavilion processes organic waste from nearby restaurants, turning leaves and food scraps into compost and closing the loop by distributing fresh eggs daily, a live demonstration of a micro circular economy. As a temporary installation, the project functions both as a prototype for low-impact chicken coops and as a public learning space. It addresses Indonesia’s significant food waste challenges while breaking stigmas around small-scale poultry keeping. Blending into the park’s topography, the Chicken Hero Pavilion shows how simple construction and local materials can support inclusive education, environmental stewardship, and community-led sustainability.

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Eden – Abu Dhabi Edition is a large-scale installation by artist Pamela Tan of Poh Sin Studio that examines the relationship between constructed environments and natural forms. Drawing conceptual reference from the mythical Garden of Eden, the project presents an abstracted landscape composed of organic structures and controlled material language.

The pavilion is conceived as an immersive, all-white environment that emphasizes form, texture, and spatial sequence. Through the enlargement and repetition of natural motifs, the work encourages close observation of subtle details and alters conventional perceptions of scale. The restrained palette and sculptural composition create a calm spatial atmosphere, defined by continuity rather than enclosure.

image by Nada Alkarra

Eden airy installation emerges from the Desert Context

For its Abu Dhabi edition, Eden extends beyond an indoor exhibition context and is situated within the desert landscape. Positioned directly on sand, the installation introduces a contrasting spatial condition, where a garden-like structure emerges within an arid environment. The work appears as a temporary presence, shifting in perception between visibility and disappearance as lighting and atmospheric conditions change from night to day. This juxtaposition between a constructed landscape and its desert setting establishes a dialogue between abundance and scarcity, permanence and impermanence.

The installation by artist Pamela Tan of Poh Sin Studio is experienced outdoors under the open sky. At night, its white structural elements reflect artificial light, forming a luminous field against the surrounding darkness. Organic passages and vine-like arches guide movement through the space, while the overall composition maintains a low, horizontal profile that responds to the stillness of the desert context.

image by Poh Sin Studio

Suspended system constructs a Temporary open canopy

Structurally, Eden is defined by a suspended, cloud-like canopy composed of hanging vine elements. This canopy acts as both the primary architectural feature and the main structural system. The form originated through an intuitive design process and was later refined through engineering analysis, in which its curvature was translated into a truss-based framework. Computational simulations were used to ensure structural stability under desert conditions while maintaining visual lightness. The installation operates as a hybrid between sculpture and architecture, where form and structure are developed simultaneously. Hanging vines, arched elements, and dispersed glass spheres contribute to a spatial environment that responds to light, movement, and viewpoint, producing a variable sensory experience throughout the day and night.

All steel components are designed as a flat-pack system, allowing for efficient transportation, installation, dismantling, and reassembly in different locations. The modular construction employs interlocking joints, slip-lock connections, and bolt-and-nut assemblies, enabling precise on-site assembly while supporting flexibility and reuse. This approach addresses logistical constraints associated with remote sites and reinforces the project’s adaptability as a temporary spatial installation.

image by Nada Alkarra

image by Poh Sin Studio

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

image by Lancer Gerber, courtesy of Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi & Public Art Abu Dhabi

project info:

name: Eden – Abu Dhabi Edition (2025)
designer: Pamela Tan – Poh Sin Studio | @pohsin_studio

location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

photographer: Lancer Gerber, Nada Alkarra, Poh Sin Studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post cloud-like white canopy of hanging vines emerges from abu dhabi’s arid landscape appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In Kuhmo, a small timber-industry town in eastern Finland, Aalto University’s Wood Program installs Kide, a crystalline outdoor stage that doubles as a civic gathering point. The pavilion responds to the need of the town for a flexible cultural venue by translating the fractal geometry of snow into an inhabitable wooden canopy. Suspended lightly on two corners, the structure offers a sheltered space for performances, markets, and everyday meetings, contributing to the social and cultural life of a community of 8,000 residents.

Formed by eight interwoven glulam trusses wrapped in a translucent metal mesh and topped with prefabricated LVL (laminated veneer lumber) roof panels, the pavilion reveals its structural logic openly, lending the square a new visual identity while maintaining a remarkably light footprint.

image courtesy of Aalto University’s Wood Program

a timber canopy shaped by snow and forest

The team grounds the project in the crystalline logic of snow and the spatiality of the forest, two defining elements of Finnish nature. The name Kide, Finnish for ice crystal, captures the geometric clarity shaping the form of the pavilion. Inside, filtered daylight, slender timber members, and a sense of enclosure evoke the calmness of woodland interiors, creating an atmosphere that shifts with the seasons and the events hosted beneath it.

Eight interwoven glulam trusses form the pavilion’s square footprint. These elements are mechanically connected in a sequence that generates both rigidity and a visual rhythm, their geometry becoming legible through a translucent metal mesh that wraps the outer surface. The mesh reveals rather than hides: it turns the structure’s anatomy into part of the architectural experience, emphasizing depth and shadow without adding visual heaviness.

All primary timber components, the glulam trusses and the LVL (laminated veneer lumber) roof panels, are prefabricated at Aalto University, then transported to the Kuhmo site for assembly. This workflow reflects long-standing pedagogical priorities within the Wood Program that include precision, economy of material, and hands-on construction experience. Prefabrication also operates as a sustainability strategy. Controlled workshop conditions reduce waste, improve structural accuracy, and shorten on-site building time. The project relies almost entirely on renewable, bio-based materials, particularly timber sourced from the region’s forests, aligning the pavilion with local identity as well as environmental responsibility. 

The sustainable approach is embedded not only in its materials but also in its restrained construction logic. The minimalist assembly, durable timber species, and honest detailing ensure longevity while keeping maintenance low. 

Aalto University’s Wood Program installs a crystalline outdoor stage that doubles as a civic gathering point

a snow-inspired structure that transforms the town square

Kuhmo is known for its annual music festivals and its rich history of timber architecture, yet it lacked a dedicated outdoor venue capable of supporting cultural events and everyday use. Kide fills this gap with its elevated pine-wood stage and timber backdrop frame performances ranging from folk music and choirs to dance, rock bands, and award ceremonies. Just as importantly, the pavilion hosts local markets, informal gatherings, and seasonal celebrations.

Residents embrace Kide and invite people to gather under the warm wooden canopy, and by reactivating the town’s central square, the structure contributes to cultural tourism, reinforces community identity, and enhances daily life. Its impact extends beyond aesthetics or performance programming; it creates a durable civic infrastructure that supports a wide range of public rituals.

the pavilion responds to the need of the town for a flexible cultural venue

translating the fractal geometry of snow into an inhabitable wooden canopy

suspended lightly on two corners

the structure offers a sheltered space for performances, markets, and everyday meetings

contributing to the social and cultural life of a community of 8,000 residents

formed by eight interwoven glulam trusses

wrapped in a translucent metal mesh

topped with prefabricated LVL roof panels

the pavilion reveals its structural logic openly

the name Kide captures the geometric clarity shaping the form of the pavilion

project info:

name: Kide 

architect: Aalto University’s Wood Program | @woodprogram_aalto

location: Kuhmo, Finland

instructors: Pekka Heikkinen, Laura Zubillaga, Dario Vidal, Mauri Kontilla (structure)

architectural design: Ayato Hokkyo, Daniel Sars, Darya Belaya, Dimitris Kalogridis, Ishrat Tabassum, Johanna Saarela, Juri Kikuchi, Keitaro Tsubata, Kota Kawakami, Matej Požega, Meina Kobayashi, Nao Fujimoto, Olle Björkebaum, Simón Herrera Arévalo, Ville Mujunen, Wakana Ito, Yume Suzuki

structural design: Ghada Al-Adulrazzaq, Jakub Sołtysiński

The post crystalline timber canopy inspired by snow fractals becomes a gathering space in finland appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.