"Ephemerality is an important phenomena" in Bangladeshi architecture says Marina Tabassum

Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum explains how the ever-shifting landscape of her home country shaped her concept for this year's Serpentine Pavilion in this exclusive video interview produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Galleries.

"Bangladesh is constantly shaping and reshaping itself," Tabassum told Dezeen in the video interview. "That ephemerality or temporality is also an important phenomena in our architecture."

Her design for the annual Serpentine Pavilion commission, titled A Capsule in Time, reflects this notion through four freestanding wooden arches that form a translucent, canopy-like shelter.

The structure was designed to be modular and movable, allowing the space to transform while encouraging people to gather and connect.

"One atmospheric idea that we wanted to bring into this pavilion is the translucency and the ethereal quality of light," Tabassum explained. "Light, to me, is a very important material in architecture."

The design draws inspiration from shamianas, which are ceremonial tents commonly used across the Indian subcontinent.

"As a child, I have memories of being in these structures, where you can see light coming through," she said. "It was constantly reminding me of shamianas."

The pavilion will be located beside the Serpentine South Gallery in Kensington Gardens, with a small central courtyard housing a tree precisely aligned with the gallery's bell tower.

Tabassum is the founder of the eponymous architecture studio based in Dhaka and is the 25th architect to be selected for the annual Serpentine Pavilion commission. Her practice is known for work that is rooted in community and environmental responsiveness.

"Our projects are mostly based in Bangladesh, so we try to create a language of architecture which is very much rooted to the place," she said. "We take on issues that are relevant to our time – from climate to displacement."

Notable projects include the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, where perforated brickwork creates a play of light and shadow, as well as Khudi Bari, a lightweight, portable bamboo home developed in response to the mass displacement caused by flooding in Bangladesh.

For Tabassum, A Capsule in Time is both a poetic and political gesture, which aims to create a space shaped by nature and people.

"The pavilion is like a container where people from different backgrounds can come together," she said. "That's our aspiration – to create a platform open for all."

Named as one of the 100 most influential people in 2024 by Time magazine and selected as Dezeen Awards Architect of the Year in 2024, Tabassum follows Minsuk Cho's 2024 star-shaped pavilion and Lina Ghotmeh's À Table in 2023.

The Serpentine Pavilion will be open to the public from 6 June to 26 October 2025 at the Serpentine Galleries in London. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for the Serpentine Galleries as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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