Coinciding with World Play Day on 11 June, Serpentine, in collaboration with the LEGO Group, presents the Play Pavilion. This new vibrant and interactive public art commission is situated alongside Serpentine South. The public art project, designed by British architect Sir Peter Cook, invites visitors of all ages to engage with the creative possibilities of play as a fundamental human impulse.

Incorporating LEGO® Bricks into the design, the Play Pavilion commission offers an immersive three-dimensional environment in which play becomes both a method of exploration and a space of imagination. Extending beyond the gallery walls into the park, the Play Pavilion reflects Serpentine and the LEGO Group’s shared commitment to building connections through play, creative expression, and experimentation.

Sir Peter Cook has been a pivotal figure within architecture for over half a century. As a founding member of the visionary group Archigram in the early 1960s, Cook helped establish new radical possibilities for architecture. Of the Play Pavilion, he notes:

“Play transcends survival, achievement, and common sense. It encourages, or at least permits us, to explore and idly delight in a territory between the wayward and speculative towards unashamed amusement. The Play Pavilion is a piece of theatre.”

The Play Pavilion continues a new series of programmes presented by Serpentine welcoming families, younger audiences, and teenagers, that is centred on the idea of engaging with activities for enjoyment and recreation. In 2022, Serpentine, The London Lions Basketball Club, and artist Alvaro Barrington partnered with CONSUL, Tower Hamlets Council and Weavers Adventure Playground in Bethnal Green to create a unique basketball court, enriching the local community and beyond. These new initiatives will bring together artists, designers, architects, and creatives to champion the spirit of play and community.

Throughout the summer, the Play Pavilion will act as a platform for live activations, offering new opportunities for collective and spontaneous acts of play.