On June 7, the Serpentine Galleries opened its 23rd annual pavilion. The islands are hollow, Designed by Minsuk Cho, founder of Seoul-based architecture firm Mass Studies, Cho’s design was inspired by the concept of a Madang, or traditional Korean courtyard, with a central area surrounded by five distinct structures, known as “islands.” These areas will serve different functions and provide a platform for the Serpentine’s live programming this summer.
The pavilion’s main exhibition hall will feature a six-channel sound installation by Chang Young-kyu that captures the seasonal changes in the local landscape. Next to the main exhibition hall is the auditorium, the largest on the island, designed for live performances and public lectures. Unread Books LibraryA project by artist Heman Chong and archivist Renée Staal, it provides a shared community learning and exploration space with books donated by the public. It also features an artwork by Chong selected by director Hans Ulrich Obrist.
The tallest of the five islands houses the Play Tower, a wooden structure with orange netting designed for interactive play. The final island is the Tea House, a nod to the Serpentine Galleries’ origins as a tea house, a role it continued until the 1960s.
Previous designers of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion include Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh in 2023 and American artist Theaster Gates in 2022.
