‘a serpentine’ by LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo
LANZA atelier emphasises the role of design in everyday interactions and identifies the pursuit of beauty as a recurring theme in their work. The Mexico City-based architecture studio founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, has anchored the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion on the English architectural feature known as a serpentine, or crinkle-crankle, wall. The wall derives its stability from its curving form, requiring fewer bricks than a straight wall. The name of the Pavilion, a serpentine, is inspired by this feature, which makes up the Pavilion’s south wall and subtly references the nearby Serpentine Lake, whose gentle curve evokes the form of a serpent.
The north wall of the structure is in dialogue with the surrounding landscape, curving around the nearby tree canopy. A translucent roof allows light and air to permeate the space, softening the boundary between enclosure and openness. The roof rests lightly on brick columns which evoke a grove of trees.
LANZA atelier chose brick as the primary material to celebrate the distinctly English garden tradition and establish a conversation with the existing brick façade of the Serpentine South Gallery, which was originally built as a tea pavilion. The Pavilion is constructed from a rhythmic repetition of brick columns that transform the wall from opaque to permeable.
