Serpentine Galleries has announced that Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and her firm, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), have been selected to design the Serpentine Pavilion 2025. Titled A Capsule in Time, the Pavilion will be unveiled on 6 June 2025 at Serpentine South, continuing the annual tradition supported by Goldman Sachs. Tabassum’s design draws on themes of permanence and impermanence, reflecting her deep engagement with architecture as a means of storytelling, memory, and adaptation to changing environments.

Founded in 2005, MTA has gained international recognition for its socially and ecologically responsive architecture, particularly in Bangladesh, a country at the forefront of climate change challenges. The studio’s work, such as the Khudi Bari project—modular, easily relocatable homes—demonstrates a commitment to uplifting marginalised communities. Tabassum’s Pavilion will similarly highlight themes of adaptability and connection, engaging with the historical and environmental context of Serpentine South.

The design of the 2025 Pavilion is inspired by the natural and cultural traditions of gathering spaces. Featuring four wooden capsule-like structures with a translucent façade, the Pavilion will filter natural light in a way reminiscent of the Shamiyana tents used for celebrations in South Asia. A key feature of the design is its kinetic element—one capsule will have the ability to move and transform the space, inviting visitors to experience the architecture as both a shelter and an evolving social space. By centring a mature tree within the structure, Tabassum’s design also brings the surrounding park into dialogue with the Pavilion itself.

As Serpentine marks the 25th anniversary of its Pavilion commission, A Capsule in Time will stand as a testament to the power of architecture to foster community, dialogue, and artistic experimentation. The Pavilion will host Serpentine’s live events programme, including Park Nights, where disciplines like music, theatre, and philosophy converge. In honouring the legacy of architects like Dame Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas, Tabassum’s Pavilion will push the boundaries of design while offering a space for reflection and shared experiences under the summer sky.

Date: 6 June – 26 October 2025. Location: Serpentine Galleries, London W2 3XA. serpentinegalleries.org.