Thorn and Zumtobel announce Sponsorship of the 25th Serpentine Pavilion by LANZA atelier

Thorn and Zumtobel will return as sponsors of the Serpentine Pavilion in 2026, continuing their long-standing relationship with one of the world’s most influential architectural commissions. This year’s Pavilion will be designed by Mexico City based practice LANZA atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, and will open at Serpentine South on 6 June 2026 as the programme marks its 25th anniversary in partnership.

Titled a serpentine, the Pavilion draws inspiration from the crinkle-crankle wall, a modest but feature of English architectural history. LANZA atelier’s proposal places movement, permeability and collective experience at the centre of the visitor journey. Curving brick columns guiding people through the space, offering moments of pause, views through to the surrounding gardens, and a sense of gradual discovery as visitors move between light and shadow.

Lighting plays a subtle but important role in supporting this experience. Rather than overpowering the architecture, the scheme has been designed to work with the material qualities, the shifting patterns of daylight, and the translucency of the roof structure. After dark, the Pavilion will remain legible and welcoming, with carefully placed light revealing texture, depth and the rhythm of the curving forms.

The translucent roof structure allows daylight to filter into the Pavillion during the day and is softly illuminated after dark using Thorn’s linear Mystrid Flex luminaires, integrated into the structure to create homogenous lines of light at 2700K. A small number of Thorn’s adjustable Caelon spotlights are used discreetly for emergency lighting and to support the café bar area, ensuring functionality without detracting from the architectural intent. Around the Pavilion exterior, Thorn’s Cesar Stroll bollards provide gentle wayfinding and help guide visitors through the landscape after dusk, also specified at 2700K to maintain a consistent, welcoming tone of light.

John Lyons, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Zumtobel Group, said: “Every Serpentine Pavilion presents a different architectural language and a different challenge for lighting. This year’s design is beautifully restrained and deeply rooted in experience and movement. Our role is to support that experience, allowing people to move comfortably through the space in the evening while preserving the character of the brickwork, the roof structure and the surrounding gardens. It is a privilege to be involved in such a culturally significant project once again.”

Isabel Zumtobel, Director of Arts and Culture at Zumtobel Licht AG (CH), added: “The Serpentine Pavilion has always been about more than a temporary structure. It is a place for encounter, conversation and shared experience. The Pavilion by LANZA atelier speaks quietly but powerfully about how people move through space and relate to one another. Light has an important role to play in that experience, shaping atmosphere without dominating it. We are proud to continue our partnership with Serpentine in this important anniversary year.”

The 2026 Pavilion continues Serpentine’s tradition of inviting leading architects to create temporary structures that respond to the park setting while offering new ways for the public to gather, reflect and experience architecture. LANZA atelier’s approach foregrounds use, materiality and encounter over formal spectacle, creating a Pavilion that evolves throughout the day as sunlight filters through and tree shadows move across the brick surfaces.

Thorn and Zumtobel’s involvement reflects a shared commitment to supporting architecture and culture through considered, responsible lighting design. By using the colour temperature across the Pavilion, the lighting scheme maintains visual consistency and reinforces the calm, cohesive character of the space.

The Serpentine Pavilion 2026 will be open to the public from 6th June until October 2026 in Kensington Gardens, London. Thorn and Zumtobel will host a private Pavilion event on Thursday 10th September 2026.