‘Like an expanding crepe-paper ornament’: Serpentine unveils its first movable pavilion

Marina Tabassum has built emergency homes for the delta-dwellers of the Ganges using grass and bamboo. Her Serpentine pavilion – part tropical glasshouse, part 70s office block – is a chic, meditative place for an over-priced coffeePast pavilions have taken the form of inflatable balloons, teetering plastic pyramids and cork-lined lairs dug into the ground. We have seen a fibreglass cocoon perched on boulders, a wildflower garden enclosed by tar-daubed walls, and an assortment of undulating canopies, clad in polished steel and jagged slate. Now, to celebrate 25 years of building experimental structures on its front lawn, London’s Serpentine gallery has unveiled its first pavilion that moves.“Every time you think of an idea for the project,” says Marina Tabassum, the Bangladeshi architect behind this year’s kinetic enclosure, “you realise, ‘Oh, that’s already been done.’” This is the eternal dilemma for any designer selected for this prestigious annual commission: how to concoct a novel structure on a tight deadline that will enrapture park-goers, entertain corporate sponsors, and appeal to collectors, who are ultimately expected to acquire the thing – as well as, most importantly, provide a shelter for an overpriced coffee. Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

Disney composer Alan Menken: ‘I won my first Oscar, then Howard Ashman told me he was dying’

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Lifeguard: Ripped and Torn review – this brilliant post-punk racket sounds like a trip to a rivet factory

Fight like a girl? Ana de Armas on twisting phrase for a new meaning

‘And Just Like That …’ Season 3, Episode 2 Recap: Textual Relations

The completely free streaming service with 25,000,000 users that’s ‘like DIY Netflix’

Rebel Wilson: ‘I always wanted to be like Judi Dench. But people like laughing at me’

Story of crook who wanted to sell Scottish tea to China is like an Ealing comedy

‘Like trying to float a sinking ship’: your reaction to Billie Piper’s Doctor Who return

‘We were like brothers, but we scrapped’: the chaos and pranks that shaped The Goonies – by its cast and crew

Forget the ratings, Thunder-Pacers looks like an NBA Finals for true basketball fans

Paris Lees adaptation What It Feels Like for a Girl is a raw, engaging case for optimism

Forget the ratings, Thunder-Pacers looks like a series for true basketball fans

Meet Paris Lees - the true story behind the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl

What It Feels Like for a Girl cast, filming locations and episode guide

What It Feels Like For A Girl on BBC Three review: fearless and compelling TV

Paris Lees adaptation What It Feels Like for a Girl is a raw, engaging case for optimism

What It Feels Like for a Girl review – deeply disturbing and totally fearless TV

What It Feels Like for a Girl is an absolute riot

Visitors to Shetland 'twice as likely to be influenced by film, TV or literature'

An Opinion Poll on What Readers Like and Dislike Inspired This Book

JoJo Siwa says Chris Hughes feels like family and her mother ‘adores’ him

Culture

Disney composer Alan Menken: ‘I won my first Oscar, then Howard Ashman told me he was dying’

Adam Scott fans are saying the same thing about Severance star’s age after he goes viral on TikTok

‘Loopy’ action thriller lands on Amazon Prime with viewers cancelling weekend plans to watch

Why legendary Friends star decided to quit Hollywood for unexpected career change

In the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial, an ex-girlfriend testifies about abuse and control

Olympics under pressure to strip Khelif of boxing gold medal after leaked lab report

Anthropic unveils models for U.S. intelligence and defense agencies

Montreux Jazz Festival unveils Spotlight Stage lineup including rising British star Luvcat

Addison Rae’s debut album proves her evolution from influencer to pop heavyweight is complete

'Courageous' acting student awarded cash prize by Jean Armour Burns Trust

Chilling future of a Britain where women can't carry a pregnancy to term

WWE x AAA Worlds Collide 2025 UK start time for YouTube live stream

‘You’ll never replace Cilla’: Blind Date fans reveal true feelings about reboot

Fans of iconic 70s band blast ‘awful’ biopic casting of Nick Jonas as rock legend

Billy Joel reveals he attempted suicide twice after betraying his best friend

Beyoncé praised for ‘effortless’ recovery from wardrobe malfunction on Cowboy Carter tour

Blake Lively makes playful flower arranging offer to fans amid Justin Baldoni legal battle

‘Really upsetting’ ITV axe will devastate show that’s been on for 26 years

Clarkson’s Farm fans convinced they spotted ‘editing error’ – but there’s more to it

Billy Joel shares first message with fans since brain disorder diagnosis

‘He threatened my career’: 22 actors who didn’t get along with their directors

Martin Scorsese supported after admitting he no longer goes to the cinema

Venue boss warns Edinburgh Festival Fringe may become a 'one-person show' event

Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton, 42, mistook skin cancer for mosquito bite

Rik Mayall festival a fantastic success - organisers

Springsteen performs harmonica duet with 12-year-old fan

BBC Radio host Bryan Burnett announces break from show after ‘incredibly rare’ cancer diagnosis

Loose Women cuts live studio audience amid ITV budget cuts

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter show is a bewildering bombardment of entertainment

It's quaint the things you find in some people's bathrooms...

The multi-million pound projects transforming Edinburgh's cultural landscape

Donald Trump and Elon Musk get bizarre reality TV offer after public spat

Is 'Ballerina' an en pointe entry in the John Wick universe?

The Pride month vibes are off, but there's still hope.

2025 Tony Awards Predictions: Best New Musical, Best Leading Actress and More

Musk threatens to decommission SpaceX capsule, a key space station link, after Trump attack

Jonathan Bailey reveals big way Wicked 2 differs from stage show

Wicked 2 director Jon M Chu confirms Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will each have a brand new song

Dakota Johnson blames Madame Web flop on people ‘who don’t have a creative bone in their body’

Disney composer Alan Menken: ‘I won my first Oscar, then Howard Ashman told me he was dying’

Beyonce rides into town for London leg of Cowboy Carter tour

Blue Plaque honour for Bradford theatre pioneer

BBC Radio presenter takes break for cancer treatment

'Belfast adopted me when making How to Train Your Dragon' - Gerard Butler

Robbie Williams: ‘My dad doesn’t look after himself – he should have had help long ago’

Why Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new queer love story inspired her to come out

Private Japanese lunar lander crashes into moon in failed mission

Judge halts Trump's order blocking foreign students from Harvard

Tom Cruise awarded Guinness World Record for death-defying scene in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Wicked: For Good trailer released with new songs and first glimpse of Dorothy

Beloved Summer House star announces exit ahead of season 10

Love Island USA: Meet the cast as one islander exits early after racist comments resurface

Fight like a girl? Ana de Armas on twisting phrase for a new meaning

The true story behind A Widow’s Game is even wilder than the Netflix film

Ryan Reynolds acquires a new sports team — this time with Hugh Jackman

‘Draco Malfoy is back’: Tom Felton to reprise Harry Potter role after 14 years

Olly Alexander lands West End role after leaving record deal