In 2022, international architecture, urbanism and design practice all(zone) designed our ninth MPavilion.

A celebration of the outdoors, the vibrant, textural MPavilion’s standout feature is its ingenious canopy – comprising three layers that explore the potential of fabric and tensile architecture at every step. The outermost layer is built from fishing nets, giving the structure a stunning tactile texture that defines the MPavilion’s profile from afar.

‘Working on the MPavilion project with so many talented individuals has been an incredible journey. MPavilion is special because even though it’s called a temporary pavilion, it’s actually even more complex than a building. The engineering and manufacturing have been a huge step forward for us in understanding the possibilities of fabric-based architecture,’ all(zone) design director Rachaporn Choochuey

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In 2021, international architecture, urbanism and design practice MAP studio (Venice) was commissioned to design MPavilion 8.

The geometric, kaleidoscopic design – ‘The Lightcatcher’ – was envisioned as an urban lighthouse, set to illuminate MPavilion’s diverse program of free cultural events over the summer. The design comprises a reticular steel structure in galvanised and painted tubular profiles that support a set of panels in a mirror-finish aluminium coating, reflecting light, colours, activities and people who use the space. The MPavilion 8 structure appears to float above the ground level on a coloured, organic-shaped surface. 

‘Our MPavilion takes on a double meaning – it’s an urban lighthouse to gather people around, to express new hope and glitter minds into appreciating new horizons, but it’s also a warning. It’s not a shelter but an amplifier of human activities in nature, a metaphor for man’s current condition, to inspire a new awareness of our fragility,’ MAP studio (Venice) founders Francesco Magnani and Traudy Pelzel. 

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In 2019, Pritzker Prize-winning Glenn Murcutt AO designed a characteristically thoughtful, climate-responsive pavilion.

Murcutt’s MPavilion 6 heralds a milestone in the architect’s 50-year career as his first civic city design. The pavilion relays his longstanding interest in linear buildings that make efficient use of researched site and climatic conditions. Prioritising a view of the Yarra River and city skyline with weather-effective design elements, MPavilion 6 consists of a rectangular plan and round steel columns supporting wing-like trusses wrapped in translucent tensile membrane, shaping a buoyant white roof that is lit from within at night.

 

The result is a sleek and adaptable pavilion resting on the landscape.

‘The MPavilion is firstly a real pavilion: historically, a pavilion is a tent, a light and temporary building. I felt a crisp white building that at night could be lit from within its roof – like a lantern in the Queen Victoria Gardens – giving the pavilion a feeling of lightness, would sit comfortably in the location,’ Glenn Murcutt AO.

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In 2018, MPavilion welcomed Barcelona-based architect and educator Carme Pinós of Estudio Carme Pinós as our esteemed designer. Carme is one of the world’s leading architectural voices, with projects spanning public architecture, social housing, urban refurbishment and furniture and object design.

Carme’s origami-inspired design attracted attention from across the world.

Wallpaper* noted: ‘In a nod to Pinós’ passion for inclusive and engaging, community-focused architecture – which highlights the project’s overall ongoing commitment to building communities and women in leadership – the architect imagined the space as a set of wings that open the pavilion to the city.’

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The vibrant MPavilion 4, designed by the Netherlands-based OMA (Rem Koolhaas & David Gianotten), is described by the duo as a ‘modern-day amphitheatre.’

With flexibility and community in mind, OMA designed a living structure that integrated with the surrounding landscape and contained rotatable components, allowing interactions from all angles.

MPavilion 4 welcomed more than 117,000 visitors over 133 days, was shortlisted by the prestigious INDE.Awards in the category of ‘The Influencer’ for its impact on the Asia-Pacific region, and was named by international design bible Wallpaper* as one of the ‘Top Buildings that Shaped Culture in 2017.’

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Bijoy Jain’s and Studio Mumbai’s MPavilion 3 provided a wonderful counterpoint to AL_A’s technological triumph the year prior.

Using traditional materials and methods, Bijoy’s stunning architecture combines the materials of bamboo, rope and karvi panels with the concept of ‘lore’ to create an architectural work of beauty, warmth and cohabitation – a place of meaning.

‘MPavilion is a space for the people of Melbourne to gather, talk, think, reflect. My objective was not just to create a new building, but capture the spirit of the place by choosing the right materials, respecting the surrounding nature and working collaboratively with local craftspeople to share design and construction ideas,’ Studio Mumbai founder Bijoy Jain.

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AL_A’s Amanda Levete designed a canopy-inspired MPavilion that is truly a triumph in technology, reimagining what a pavilion can be.

Wallpaper* featured AL_A’s design in a list of 15 installation that capture the global imagination: ‘A truly timeless installation, whether temporary or permanent, alters its surroundings by broadening the idea of what could belong there.

What is done with art cannot be undone – and our world is richer for it.’

Designboom named it as part of their top 10 temporary structures of 2015 selection.

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