Dezeen Magazine

Watch a live talk with Serpentine Pavilion architect Sumayya Vally

Dezeen teamed up with the Serpentine Gallery to live stream a conversation between Hans Ulrich Obrist and architect Sumayya Vally of Counterspace about this year's Serpentine Pavilion.

In a live broadcast from the 20th Serpentine Pavilion in London, Vally discussed the process and concepts behind her design with Serpentine Galleries artistic director Obrist.

Counterspace Serpentine Pavilion
The 20th Serpentine Pavilion is designed by Sumayya Vally

Vally's Serpentine Pavilion is a circular pink-and-grey structure made from reclaimed cork and steel.

The temporary structure, which is currently located on the lawn outside the Serpentine Gallery, is one of five pavilions dispersed throughout the capital that comprise this year's design.

Sumayya Vally and Hans Ulrich Obrist at the Serpentine Pavilion 2021
Counterspace's Sumayya Vally was interviewed by Hans Ulrich Obrist inside the Serpentine Pavilion

A further four smaller pieces can be found at sites significant to London's migrant communities, including Deptford, Barking and Dagenham, Finsbury Park and Nottinghill.

Vally gave an exclusive video interview to Dezeen in which she described the pavilion as "like a puzzle of many different elements coming together."

Sumayya Vally
Serpentine Pavilion architect Sumayya Vally

The Serpentine Pavilion is an annual commission established in 2000 by the London gallery. Each year, it is awarded to international architects who have not yet had the opportunity to build in the UK .

Vally is the youngest architect to receive the prestigious commission. The likes of Zaha Hadid, Toyo Ito and Oscar Niemeyer are among the architects to have designed previous pavilions.


The talk took place at 1:00pm London time on 9 June 2021. The Serpentine Pavilion 2021 is open to the public in London from 11 June to 17 October 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.