MP10: Themes
Memories of Place
November—December 2023
Tadao Ando searches for the key to regeneration in the dialogue between architecture and its surroundings – and MPavilion 10 is no exception. A water landscape which reflects the scenery as it changes with time brings the artificial and natural together to define and unite. From the Birrarung to the Queen Victoria Gardens, this place encourages people to encounter, experience, feel and find spiritual bases for memories of community. Why are landscapes significant to our collective memory and how might we preserve them for generations to come?
As our tenth season opens, we explore how water, gardens and changing landscapes are linked, and the benefit in understanding and nurturing their existence and ethereal stories.
Craftsmanship
January—February 2024
Japanese craftsmanship encompasses more than creating beautiful objects; it’s a way of life that involves devotion over a lifetime and dedication to community and nature. Tadao Ando’s childhood neighbourhood contained the workshops of many artisans, including a woodworking shop where he learned the craft.
A new year at MPavilion 10 ushers in a celebration of craftsmanship: its artistry and import as well as the people and values that underpin it. How will technology change, disrupt and enhance craftsmanship – and can sustainable practices benefit maker and environment? Is the shokunin approach of taking time to perfect necessary for achieving quality – and happiness?
A Blank Canvas
March 2024
‘I wanted to create an experience that will last forever in the hearts of all who visit. I imagined an architecture of emptiness that lets light and breeze enter and breathe life into it. A place that resonates with the environment, becomes one with the garden and blossoms with infinite creativity,’ Tadao Ando on MPavilion 10.
Tadao Ando designed MPavilion 10 as an empty place with an indeterminate function: for coming together unexpectedly, passing time and pondering the surroundings in a profound way, and events of immediate, incidental and accidental character.
In March, we embrace Ando’s design philosophy – from his stark minimalism and masterful conception of space to his use of light, shadow and water to create an atmosphere of stillness – to spark our own constellation of creativity.