Luminaire manufacturer and supplier Thorn Lighting and Zumtobel, an Austrian company specialising in professional indoor and outdoor lighting, have announced their renewed sponsorship of the Serpentine Pavilion in 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the annual architectural programme.
The pavilion, titled a serpentine, has been designed by LANZA atelier and will open at Serpentine South in London on 6 June 2026.
According to the organisers, the design takes inspiration from the crinkle-crankle wall, a historic feature of English architecture.
The structure uses curved brick forms to guide visitors through the pavilion and surrounding landscape.
The lighting design has been developed to complement the architectural materials and changing daylight conditions, with illumination intended to remain understated throughout the space.
A lighting scheme integrated into pavilion architecture
The pavilion’s translucent roof structure will be illuminated using Thorn’s Mystrid Flex linear luminaires, specified at 2700K to create consistent lines of light after dark.
Additional Thorn Caelon spotlights have been installed to provide emergency lighting and support the pavilion’s café bar area, while Cesar Stroll bollards will provide low-level external wayfinding around the site.
John Lyons, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Zumtobel Group, explains, “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, says, “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 Serpentine Pavilion programme annually commissions temporary structures from international architects, designed to encourage engagement with architecture and public space.
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