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Kinetic Timber ‘A Capsule in Time’ Pavilion Debuts in Kensington Gardens

Featuring shifting timber capsules that manipulate dappled light, it will be repurposed as a library after October 2025

Serpentine Pavilion 2025
Architect Marina Tabassum
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Overview

  • The Serpentine Gallery’s 25th Pavilion by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum opened this week in Kensington Gardens ahead of its June 6 public launch.
  • Composed of four movable timber segments, the modular structure can reconfigure to host exhibitions, performances and community events.
  • Translucent colored glass panels filter shifting daylight into the interior, while a semi-mature ginkgo tree at its center evokes the passage of time.
  • Integrated bookshelves showcase curated texts in Bengali literature, ecology and identity, including works banned in Bangladesh as a statement on free expression.
  • The pavilion will remain on view through October 26, 2025, when it will be dismantled and relocated to serve as a public library.