The tenth edition of the MPavilion opens in Queen Victoria Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. The structure was designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Tadao Ando, marking the architect’s first built project in Australia. The pavilion follows his signature use of geometric shapes in harmony with the natural landscape and the precise use of exposed concrete. On November 16, 2023, the official opening inaugurates the space with a public celebration and a wide array of art commissions selected by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation. The MPavilion will remain free and open to the public from 16 November to 28 March 2024, inviting visitors to engage with its diverse cultural program and find opportunities for contemplation and tranquility in its spaces.
Located in Melbourne’s botanic garden, the MPavilion is an occasion for experimentation and innovation. For this tenth edition, Tadao Ando created a large canopy comprising a 14.4-meter aluminum-clad disc supported by a central column. The central structure is surrounded by concrete walls of varying lengths, defining a partially enclosed space reminiscent of a traditional Japanese garden. Inside, half of the space is occupied by a reflecting pool, mirroring the pavilion canopy and the sky above. An opening in the south and north walls frames views of Melbourne and the surrounding parklands.
The tranquil environment of the pavilion is doubled by a series of artistic commissions aimed at encouraging visitors to engage with the city’s cultural scene. For the opening weekend, visitors will be able to borrow unique quilts created from the MPavilion Quilt Challenge, with each design inspired by elements of Ando’s architecture. Inside the pavilion, artist João Loureiro’s installation “Escala de Cinzas (Greyscale)” is an invitation to taste the ‘sensation of grey ice cream,’ while a curated selection of artists, architects, and creatives are scheduled to contribute with various interventions and installations, from Davidov Architects’ MPavilion 10 Chair to DNJ Paper’s samue, a Japanese-style work jacket to be worn by MPavilion attendants throughout the season.
I am honored to have completed my first project in Australia and to have created a piece of living architecture that will have such an important role in the cultural life of Melbourne this summer. I hope that as people visit, they allow this space to enter their hearts, and allow their senses to tune into the light and breeze interacting with them and this space. I hope for them an experience of harmony with nature, with themselves, and with others. - Tadao Ando, architect of MPavilion 10
Representing one of Australia’s foremost architecture commissions, the MPavilion is an annual initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, inviting architects and designers from around the world to participate in the design festival. In its previous installment, the project was designed by Bangkok-based architecture and design practice all(zone). Other participating architects include Glenn Murcutt in 2019, Carme Pinós in 2018, and OMA's Rem Koolhaas & David Gianotten in 2017.
