Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum announced as the designer of the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion
Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani
London: Renowned Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum has been announced as the designer of the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, marking the prestigious commission’s 25th anniversary. Her design, titled “A Capsule in Time,” will feature an innovative lightweight timber structure that pays homage to both the annual pavilion’s temporary nature and the fluid architectural traditions of her native Bengal Delta region.
The pavilion will comprise four arched modules constructed with timber frames and transparent panels, arranged to create a central courtyard featuring a tree that aligns with the Serpentine Gallery’s bell tower. One section will be mobile, allowing for dynamic transformation of the space.
“The relationship between time and architecture is intriguing: between permanence and impermanence, of birth, age and ruin,” Tabassum explained. Her design draws inspiration from the Bengal Delta, where shifting river courses frequently necessitate the relocation of dwellings, creating what she describes as “memories of lived spaces continued through tales.”
The structure’s semi-transparent material will create an interplay of filtered light, evoking the atmosphere of a traditional Bengali wedding Shamiyana (ceremonial tent). The design promises to offer visitors a unique architectural experience that bridges cultural traditions with contemporary design.
Tabassum, recently named on Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list and Dezeen’s Architect of the Year for 2024, is known for her environmentally conscious approach to architecture. The Serpentine Pavilion, set to open on June 6, continues her commitment to creating structures that respond meaningfully to their surroundings.
The commission joins her growing list of accolades, which includes the prestigious Aga Khan Award for her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka. The Dezeen Awards judges praised her as “one of global architecture’s undoubted heavyweights,” noting her ability to create buildings that harmonise with their environments.