Ahead of its opening, the Serpentine Galleries has released photographs of A Capsule in Time, Marina Tabassum's design for the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, on display in London's Kensington Gardens from June 6 until October 26.
“The archaic volume of a half capsule, generated by geometry and wrapped in light semi-transparent material” Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum said in January upon the unveiling of her design, “will create a play of filtered light that will pierce through the structure as if under a Shamiyana at a Bengali wedding.” Iwan Baan's evening photos capture the quality she was aiming for, with the setting sun softly illuminating the translucent skin attached to the arching wood frames.
The two arched and two half-dome structures are not alone: A semi-mature Gingko tree has been planted in the center of the pavilion, in a gap aligned with the bell tower in the adjacent Serpentine building. The Gingko was selected for the way its leaves “will slowly shift from green to luminous gold-yellow” between now and October, after which the pest-resistant tree will be replanted elsewhere in Kensington Gardens. One of the arched structures astride the tree is intended to move, transforming the pavilion for certain events, which range from talks and live music to book launches and Pavilion Family Day, the last taking place on July 19. Lastly, as seen in the below photo, on shelves built into the structure are books selected by Marina Tabassum Architects “that celebrate the richness of Bengali culture, literature, poetry, ecology and Bangladesh.”
