Left: Serpentine Sackler Gallery Right: The Serpentine Gallery in summer 2014; photos Riccardo Bianchini © Inexhibit

The Serpentine Galleries Pavilions; a history

The Serpentine is a world-famous contemporary art center in London composed of two galleries at the opposite sides of the Kensington Gardens’ Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park: the original Serpentine Gallery, established in 1970 in a former tea pavilion, and the new Serpentine Sackler Gallery opened in 2013 and designed by the Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid. Along with the activity of its permanent galleries, the Serpentine is renowned for the temporary summer pavilion, commissioning since 2000 to some of the most prominent international architects.

The pavilions, which last for three months and should be realized with a limited budget, are located in the heart of the Kensington Gardens and are intended to provide a multi-purpose social space where people gather and interact with contemporary art, music, dance and film events.

In this summary, Inexhibit magazine presents a short history by images of all Serpentine Galleries Summer Pavilions since the first one, designed by Zaha Hadid in 2000 up to the 2019 edition, designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Junya Ishigami.

THE SERPENTINE SUMMER PAVILIONS – from 2019 to 2000

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2019 – Junya Ishigami

Serpentine Pavilion 2019, designed by Junya Ishigami, Serpentine Gallery, London (21 June – 6 October 2019), © Junya Ishigami + Associates, Photography © 2019 Iwan Baan

Read more on Inexhibit about the Serpentine Summer Pavilion 2019 here

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2018 – Frida Escobedo

Serpentine Pavilion 2018, designed by Frida Escobedo, Serpentine Gallery, London (15 June – 7 October 2018) © Frida Escobedo, Taller de Arquitectura, Photography © 2018 Iwan Baan

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2017 – Diébédo Francis Kéré (Kéré Architecture)

The Serpentine Pavilion 2017 designed by Diébédo Francis Kéré, rendering, interior view

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2016 – by BIG- Bjarke Ingels

The Serpentine Pavilion 2016 designed by Bjarke Ingels; photo © Iwan Baan

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2015 – SelgasCano

The Serpentine Pavilion 2015 designed by SelgasCano; photographs © Iwan Baan

Read more on Inexhibit about the Serpentine Summer Pavilion 2015 here

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2014 – Smiljan Radić

Top and bottom: the pavilion in September 2014, photos Riccardo Bianchini © Inexhibit

Middle: internal indicative CGI © 2014 Smiljan Radić Studio

We have visited Radić pavilion in September 2014, the related article is accessible through the link below!

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 – Sou Fujimoto

Top: Photograph © 2013 Iwan Baan. Down: Photograph © 2013 Jim Stephenson

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012 – Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei

Top: Photograph © 2012 Iwan Baan. Down: Photograph © 2011 John Offenbach



Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011 – Peter Zumthor

Photographs © 2011 John Offenbach

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2010 – Jean Nouvel

Photograph © 2010 John Offenbach

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 – Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA

Photograph © 2009 Edmund Sumner/VIEW

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2008 – Frank Gehry

Photograph © 2008 Nick Rochowski/VIEW 2014

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007 – Olafur Eliasson & Kjetil Thorsen

Photograph © 2007 Luke Hayes/VIEW

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2006 – Rem Koolhaas and Cecil Balmond, with Arup

Photograph © 2006 John Offenbach

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005 – Álvaro Siza, and Eduardo Souto de Moura with Cecil Balmond

Photograph © 2005 Sally Tallant



Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2003 – Oscar Niemeyer

Photograph © 2003 Sylvain Deleu TASCHEN has provided the images and the book Serpentine Gallery Pavilions includes more photos and illustrations of the Pavilion commissions

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2002 – Toyo Ito and Cecil Balmond with Arup

Photograph © 2002 Sylvain Deleu TASCHEN has provided the images and the book Serpentine Gallery Pavilions includes more photos and illustrations of the Pavilion commissions

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2001 Eighteen Turns – Daniel Libeskind with Arup

Photographs © 2001 Hélène Binet

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2000 – Zaha Hadid

Photograph © 2000 Hélène Binet