Serpentine Galleries

The Serpentine South Gallery occupies a building that began its life in 1934 as a modest tea pavilion. While it is now a celebrated center for contemporary art, the structure originally served as a place for visitors to Kensington Gardens to enjoy refreshments after a stroll through the park. When the gallery first opened here in 1970, it lacked central heating, meaning the exhibition space remained closed throughout the colder months. Only after years of growth and building upgrades could the gallery transition into a year-round destination for international art.