Seoul-based Korean architect Minsuk Cho has been named as the designer of the 2024 Serpentine Pavilion to be built in London's Kensington Gardens, United Kingdom.

Minsuk Cho, the founder of Mass Studies, has been selected to design the 23rd Pavilion to be a gathering place at Serpentine South on 5th June 2024.

Named Archipelagic Void, the pavilion is made of five "islands" designed around a circular open space. The architect has envisioned a central void defined by a series of smaller, adaptable structures located at its periphery, intertwining with the park’s natural ecology and its temporal conditions. 

According to Serpentine, "these structures will form a constellation that shapes a singular central circular void."

Once complete, the pavilion will Minsuk Cho's first project in the UK. The pavilion features a central void that will act like the "madang" - known as a small courtyard found in old Korean houses. The central void will house rich spatial narratives ranging from individual everyday activities to large collective events. 

"We are honoured and grateful to be chosen as the next Serpentine Pavilion Architect. We began by asking what can be uncovered and added to the Serpentine site, which has already explored over 20 iterations at the centre of the lawn, from a roster of great architects and artists," said Minsuk Cho. 

"To approach this new chapter differently, instead of viewing it as a carte blanche, we embraced the challenge of considering the many existing peripheral elements while exploring the centre as a void," Cho added.

Image © Mass Studies, courtesy of Serpentine

"The pavilion facilitates new possibilities and narratives"

"It also begins to address the history of the Serpentine Pavilion. By inverting the centre as a void, we shift our architectural focus away from the built centre of the past, facilitating new possibilities and narratives," Cho added.

Each smaller component around the void will act as a multifaceted pavilion. Moreover they will function as a “content machine” individually named and serve for different activities.

A spacious welcoming entry, called The Gallery, will extend Serpentine South’s curatorial activities outside, while the Auditorium will serve as a gathering area. 

To the north, there is a small Library that will offer a moment of pause. Another element is The Tea House that will honour the Serpentine South's historical role as a tea pavilion. The most open space is The Play Tower, and will be made of a netted structure. 

Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies. Image © Mok Jungwook

"Minsuk Cho’s first structure on UK soil"

"We are honoured to present Minsuk Cho’s first structure on UK soil here at Serpentine as our next architecture Pavilion, opening this summer," said Bettina Korek, Chief Executive, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine.

"Titled Archipelagic Void, Cho’s Pavilion is modular by nature, composed of individual structures that serve specific functions, yet which also come together as a continuous unit." 

"Serpentine is deeply grateful to our loyal partners and supporters for enabling Minsuk Cho’s multifaceted concept to become a reality, and for sustaining the Pavilion each year as a model for exploring innovative ideas in architecture," Korek added.

When the pavilion is assembled, the parts "become a montage of ten spaces surrounding the void," it creates five distinct covered spaces and five open, and in-between areas. According to Cho, each structure acts "as a threshold that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding park and Pavilion activities." 

Various natural light conditions will also allow these flexible spaces to welcome people and host live programmes.

This year’s Pavilion selection was made by Serpentine CEO Bettina Korek, Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, Director of Construction and Special Projects Julie Burnell, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Public Practice Yesomi Umolu, Assistant Exhibitions Curator Alexa Chow, together with advisors Sou Fujimoto and David Glover. 

Minsuk Cho's commission follows French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh's 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, which was named À table. 

Serpentine Pavilion's innovative commission was began in 2000 with Dame Zaha Hadid. Serpentine presented the first completed UK structures by some of the most significant names and emerging talents in international architecture.

Previous Serpentine Pavilion architects include Sumayya Vally, Bjarke Ingels, Junya Ishigami, Frida Escobedo, Francis Kéré.

The Pavilion has evolved over the years as a participatory public and artistic platform for the Serpentine’s pioneering, interdisciplinary, community and education programmes.

Mass Studies was founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, as a critical investigation of architecture in the context of mass production, intensely over-populated urban conditions, and other emergent cultural niches that define contemporary society. 

Top image in the article © Mass Studies, courtesy of Serpentine.

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concept Minsuk Cho Serpentine Pavilion