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MPavilion 10 by Tadao Ando reveals a tactile and stunning architectural intervention
MPavilion 10, designed by Tadao Ando, has opened in Melbourne, Australia
MPavilion 10, designed by Tadao Ando, has opened in Melbourne, Australia
The 10th edition of MPavilion will open at Queen Victoria Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. The structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Tadao Ando and is the architect’s first project built in Australia. The pavilion follows its distinctive use of geometric shapes harmonious with the landscape and careful use of exposed concrete. On November 16, 2023, the official opening celebrates the space with a public celebration and a wide selection of artworks 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 participate in its diverse cultural program and find opportunities for contemplation and tranquility in its spaces.
Located in the Melbourne Botanic Garden, the MPavilion is an occasion for experimentation and innovation. For this tenth edition, Tadao Ando created a large canopy consisting of a 14.4-meter-long 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 the space is occupied by a reflecting pool, reflecting the pavilion’s canopy and the sky above. An opening in the south and north walls provides views of Melbourne and surrounding gardens.
The pavilion’s tranquil environment is heightened by a series of artistic commissions aimed at encouraging visitors to engage with the city’s cultural scene. On 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 savor the “sensation of gray ice cream”, while a selection of artists, architects and creatives are set to contribute various interventions and installations, from the MPavilion 10 chair by Davidov Architects to DNJ Paper’s Sami, A Japanese-style work jacket worn by MPavilion attendees throughout the season.
I am honored to complete my first project in Australia and create a piece of living architecture that will have an important role in Melbourne’s cultural life this summer. I hope that as people visit, they allow this space into their hearts, and allow their senses to tune into the light and breeze that interact with them and this space. I wish them to experience harmony with nature, with themselves and with others. – Tadao Ando, MPavilion 10 architect
Representing one of Australia’s most important 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 the previous installment, the project was designed by a Bangkok-based architecture and design firm. Other participating architects include Glenn Murcutt in 2019, Carmi Pinos in 2018, and Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA in 2017.
(Tags for translation)Architecture
