MPavilion 2022 has opened to the public, launching today at Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens – and this year, it brings a splash of colour and an ethereal quality to the park's greenery, thanks to its bespoke design by Bangkok-based architecture studio All(zone), led by design director Rachaporn Choochuey.
MPavilion 2022 by All(zone)
MPavilion 2022, under Choochuey's direction, is fun and engaging, while also bringing something new to the table – as it experiments with materials never before used in Australia. Conceived to celebrate the outdoors, as well as the idea of community and coming together, the structure features a distinctive canopy, made of fabric and expert tensile architecture. Part of the material is crafted from a cutting-edge STFE membrane supplied by French manufacturer Serge Ferrari, which is as transparent as glass but ten times lighter, its creators explain. Its use is a first for the country.
'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. We focused on how the MPavilion would accommodate lots of different activities, and the engineering and manufacturing has been a huge step forward for us in understanding the possibilities of fabric-based architecture,' says Choochuey.
Beyond its material innovations, the pavilion features a bottom layer made of a waffle of coloured fabric. It's light and moves with the breeze, filtering the sunlight and mimicking the gentle rustle of tree leaves. Underneath it sits a kiosk, painted with carefully selected Dulux shades.
'When I first met Rachaporn and her design team, I quickly realised that we shared goals of harnessing architecture and design to make the world a better place for the future. Focused on solutions for upcycling and reusing buildings, sites and materials, All(zone)’s lightweight interventions complement MPavilion’s vision of fostering dialogue on how design and architecture can help create better cities for the people who live in them,' says Naomi Milgrom Foundation founder and the project's commissioner Naomi Milgrom.
-
Taste the American whisky revolution with the best of the Kentucky Bourbon TrailOur drinks expert Neil Ridley tackles the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, kicking off in Louisville, to taste-test the best American whiskies – consult his shoppable guide in time for World Whisky Day on 17 May
-
The rhythm and materiality of Art Deco infuses Bang & Olufsen’s newest Atelier Limited EditionThe Bang & Olufsen Atelier Limited Edition Art Deco is the ultimate home cinema for architecture enthusiasts
-
Cassi Namoda is rethinking stained-glass windows at Turner Contemporary in MargateThe artist drew from an eclectic range of references when considering the traditional medium for a Turner Contemporary window overlooking the beach – she tells us more
-
Australian bathhouse ‘About Time’ bridges softness and brutalism‘About Time’, an Australian bathhouse designed by Goss Studio, balances brutalist architecture and the softness of natural patina in a Japanese-inspired wellness hub
-
The humble glass block shines brightly again in this Melbourne apartment buildingThanks to its striking glass block panels, Splinter Society’s Newburgh Light House in Melbourne turns into a beacon of light at night
-
A contemporary retreat hiding in plain sight in SydneyThis contemporary retreat is set behind an unassuming neo-Georgian façade in the heart of Sydney’s Woollahra Village; a serene home designed by Australian practice Tobias Partners
-
Join our world tour of contemporary homes across five continentsWe take a world tour of contemporary homes, exploring case studies of how we live; we make five stops across five continents
-
Who wouldn't want to live in this 'treehouse' in Byron Bay?A 1980s ‘treehouse’, on the edge of a national park in Byron Bay, is powered by the sun, architectural provenance and a sense of community
-
A modernist Melbourne house gets a contemporary makeoverSilhouette House, a modernist Melbourne house, gets a contemporary makeover by architects Powell & Glenn
-
A suburban house is expanded into two striking interconnected dwellingsJustin Mallia’s suburban house, a residential puzzle box in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill, interlocks old and new to enhance light, space and efficiency
-
Palm Beach Tree House overhauls a cottage in Sydney’s Northern Beaches into a treetop retreatSet above the surf, Palm Beach Tree House by Richard Coles Architecture sits in a desirable Northern Beaches suburb, creating a refined home in verdant surroundings
