Joana Vasconcelos's wedding cake pavilion, a large ornate sculptural structure with tiered, decorated forms in an outdoor setting.

Joana Vasconcelos’s Wedding Cake Pavilion Heads for Removal, Lasting Only 13 Years

2026-11-14

Faulty ceramic tiles have doomed one of the newest structures in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor. The 12-metre wedding cake pavilion, shaped like a tiered cake, is set to come down in Buckinghamshire, England.

The manor’s spokesperson told the BBC that the building had not stayed open for as long as anyone had hoped. Faults in its ceramic tiles forced the closure, which followed concerns about health and safety.

Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos designed the piece, named Wedding Cake, as a permanent garden pavilion for the estate. The structure went up in 2023 and sits in the grounds of a Grade I-listed country house.

Each of its three tiers is clad in glazed, pastel-toned tiles made by Viúva Lamego, a historic Portuguese tile manufacturer. The tiles are meant to look like cake icing.

Tiles aside, pavilions raise questions about materials’ afterlives. Tehran pavilion built from construction waste offers a reuse-focused counterpoint.

How the tiles set the design

The size of the tiles dictated the size of the building. Viúva Lamego’s standard tiles measure 14 by 14 centimetres, and the pavilion’s 11-metre diameter was the smallest the design could reach using them.

Vasconcelos used ceramics and textiles to challenge the hierarchy of what she calls “noble materials”, such as marble, in grand architectural settings. When the pavilion was finished, she told Dezeen it was her “most ambitious project to date”.

Why the wedding cake pavilion is coming down

A report including photos of the damaged tiles was posted on Buckinghamshire Council’s online planning portal. It does not state what caused the faults.

Close view of ornate Baroque-style tiles covering the pavilion's sculptural facade surface. — Baroque sculptural tiles on the pavilion facade

Council officers could not identify a practical way to repair the tiles, according to the BBC. The council has therefore approved a change to the listed building consent, which allows the sculpture to be removed.

Removal needs formal permission because the manor and its grounds are protected. The structure must be taken down no later than January 2036.

The Rothschild Foundation, which manages the estate, wants the pavilion gone well before that deadline, according to the BBC. The consent also requires the land around the structure to be grassed over within six months of removal.

Some garden pavilions are built for quiet rest rather than permanence. Wooden pavilion with water tank in Nara offers a light, low-impact alternative.

What comes next for the estate

Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild built Waddesdon Manor in the 1870s to entertain guests and display his ceramic collections. The Wedding Cake pavilion is the fourth work Vasconcelos has created for the estate.

The manor says it will keep commissioning art for its grounds. “We are hoping to continue to showcase art in the landscape, including plans for a new contemporary sculpture trail in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor, which will open in July 2027,” the spokesperson said.

The pavilion was meant to last. Its removal, due by January 2036 at the latest, will bring its lifespan to roughly 13 years at most, a short run for a building planned as permanent.

Via dezeen.com

Frequently asked questions

Why is Joana Vasconcelos’s Wedding Cake pavilion being removed from Waddesdon Manor?

The pavilion is being removed because faults in its ceramic tiles forced its closure, which followed health and safety concerns. Council officers could not identify a practical way to repair the tiles, so the council approved a change to the listed building consent allowing the sculpture to be taken down.

What is the deadline for removing the Wedding Cake pavilion?

The Wedding Cake pavilion must be taken down no later than January 2036. The Rothschild Foundation, which manages the estate, wants it removed well before that deadline.

Who designed the Wedding Cake pavilion at Waddesdon Manor?

Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos designed the pavilion, which is named Wedding Cake. Its tiers are clad in glazed, pastel-toned tiles made by Viúva Lamego, a historic Portuguese tile manufacturer.

When was the Wedding Cake pavilion built at Waddesdon Manor?

The Wedding Cake pavilion went up in 2023 in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor, a Grade I-listed country house in Buckinghamshire, England. It was intended as a permanent garden pavilion for the estate.