Bulletin: Lina Ghotmeh

Ghotmeh’s design process is grounded in what she calls an “archaeology of the future,” in which architecture emerges from a careful reading of traces, materials and narratives rather than from a linear design sequence. Central to her methodology is a research board that operates as an active field of composition, bringing together images, site studies, material samples, historical references and craft-based observations.

For her Serpentine Pavilion, À table, in 2023, Ghotmeh’s research process brought together a constellation of references involving gathering, dialogue and humanity’s connection to the Earth. Her board became an assembly of sketches, photographs, site observations and cultural referents, ranging from the Dogon toguna of Mali—spaces dedicated to collective discussion—to prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge, understood as places of communal ritual. Studies of Kensington Gardens and drawings of the surrounding trees informed the pavilion’s geometry; the canopy developed from observations of branching structures and root systems. Images related to food, hospitality and shared rituals further shaped the project, reinforcing the idea of architecture as a place to come together. Through this accumulation of references, the pavilion emerged as an invitation to gather, converse and reconnect with both nature and one another.

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Lina Ghotmeh is a Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect and founder of Lina Ghotmeh— Architecture. Her award-winning practice is internationally recognized for environmentally conscious designs that unite history, craftsmanship and innovation. Guided by her “Archaeology of the Future” philosophy, she creates architecture that is deeply rooted, sustainable and forward-looking.