AECOM’s reusable skin for Serpentine pavilion: prestressed masonry lessons for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
AECOM has engineered the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion in London with LANZA atelier as a fully demountable hybrid prestressed masonry structure, using a slender internal steel subframe and threaded bars along the wall tops to carry roof loads and control deflection and dynamic response. To enable brick reuse without traditional mortar beds, the team relied on soft joints, wedges and shims to manage variable brick sizes and achieve uniform prestress without local damage. Full-scale physical testing was used to calibrate computational models and validate the composite action of the curved “crinkle-crankle” walls and piers.
Technical Brief
- Crinkle-crankle wall geometry is used as a structural and architectural reference for the pavilion envelope.
- AECOM acted as multidisciplinary engineer and technical adviser, coordinating with LANZA atelier, Serpentine and Stage One.
- Legacy planning required every brick course and connection detail to be fully demountable and reusable.
- Soft joints, wedges and shims were specifically detailed to accommodate brick dimensional variability without mortar beds.
- Composite action between curved walls and discrete piers was engineered to mimic a traditionally bonded masonry wall.
- Full-scale physical tests were used to calibrate computational models for prestress benefits and unit-size tolerances.
Our Take
AECOM’s role on the Serpentine Pavilion in London sits alongside its involvement in RICS’ CLEAR life‑cycle emissions coalition, signalling that temporary or reusable structures are likely to be used as testbeds for whole‑life carbon methodologies in the UK building sector.
In our database, AECOM’s recent UK work ranges from fusion power projects (e.g. the STEP prototype and the private‑sector fusion plant consortium) to National Highways’ Water Quality Plan, so a reusable pavilion ‘skin’ aligns with a broader push by the firm into demonstrator projects with strong sustainability and research components.
Because the Serpentine Pavilion is a high‑profile, annually renewed installation in central London, a reusable envelope developed by AECOM and LANZA atelier could give contractors such as Stage One a reference case for modular, demountable façade systems that might later migrate into commercial or event infrastructure projects.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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