MPavilion is Melbourne's yearly landmark architecture event, conceived to provide the Australian city with a new social area and event hub, dedicated to the celebration of art, design and architecture. The concept behind this year's pavilion has just been announced – created by Bijoy Jain, the award-winning founder of Indian practice Studio Mumbai.
The MPavilion program, initiated by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and supported by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government, calls on an ‘outstanding’ architect to envision a temporary pavilion for the city's Queen Victoria Gardens. Last year’s design came courtesy of AL_A (headed by Amanda Levete), while the 2014 edition was provided by Australian firm Sean Godsell Architects.
Totalling 12m in height, Jain’s structure will consist entirely of bamboo, securing the title of the largest of its kind ever built in Australia. Standing on a 18m x 18m base, the construction will stretch upwards, taking the form of a tazia – a ceremonial tower commonly used in Indian festival processions. The structure will be built by a family located in Bharuch in central-west India, who specialise in the ancient art.
The lower portion of the pavilion – the tazia's base – will be covered by an awning and roof made of woven bamboo lattice panels, secured using a mix of cow dung and wet soil. The engineering and construction will be managed by both Studio Mumbai and Indian firm Kane Construction, assisted by Arup engineers, who have offices in Mumbai and Melbourne.
Alongside the structure itself, each year the MPavilion programme brings together a range of creative talent that presents work alongside the architecture. Similarly, this year sees a four-month long itinerary of talks, workshops and performances, set to run on site from October – when the pavilion is inaugurated – until February 2017.
The lower portion of the pavilion will be constructed from a woven bamboo lattice, secured by a mix of cow dung and wet soil
Jain's bamboo pavilion is planned to reach 12m in height, making it the largest of its kind ever to be built in Australia
The structure references a tazia – a traditional Indian ceremonial tower. It will be built by a family in Bharuch, who specialise in the ancient art
The engineering and construction of the structure will be overseen by Studio Mumbai and Kane Constructions. Pictured: a bird's eye view of a model of Jain's pavilion
Alongside it, the MPavilion program will feature a series of talks, workshops and performances
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the MPavilion website
Photography: Nicholas Watt
-
The finest fashion books for style enthusiastsThe fashion books taking pride of place on the Wallpaper* style desk. From monographs and photographic tomes to limited-edition titles, we explore the latest releases
-
Fisherman’s House blends old, new and that view
Fisherman’s House by Studio Prineas balances a 19th-century cottage and contemporary concrete in a modern Sydney home
-
In memoriam: Pierluigi Cerri (1939 – 2022)
We remember Italian architect and designer Pierluigi Cerri, who died on 29 November 2022 aged 83
-
Fisherman’s House blends old, new and that view
Fisherman’s House by Studio Prineas balances a 19th-century cottage and contemporary concrete in a modern Sydney home
-
Sydney Modern opens its doors and reveals immersive SANAA architecture
SANAA’s Sydney Modern opens its doors to the public in Australia
-
Lina Ghotmeh will design the Serpentine Pavilion 2023
Lebanon-born, Paris-based Lina Ghotmeh is revealed as the architect to take on the Serpentine Pavilion 2023 commission in London
-
Bass Coast Farmhouse brings drama to the Australian countryside
Bass Coast Farmhouse by John Wardle Architects is a rural dwelling in Australia’s Victoria, balancing contemporary design and traditional typologies
-
3XN’s Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney is a template for sustainable reuse
Quay Quarter Tower by Danish architecture firm 3XN, developed in partnership with BVN, offers sustainable architecture through clever redesign and reuse in Sydney, Australia
-
Architectural pavilions: architects packing a big punch with small structures
Pavilions – whether permanent or transient – allow architects to experiment with materials, passions and concepts - here’s our ongoing pick of the best of the finest architectural pavilions across the globe...
-
Pergola Extension transforms Victorian Melbourne home
Pergola Extension by Krisna Cheung Architects offers a contemporary touch to a Victorian Melbourne property, infusing it with sustainability and generosity of space
-
The radical refurbishment of an Australian farmhouse into a family retreat
The Seat is a spectacular house by Atlas Architects, born from the bones of a 1980s-era structure and re-shaped to take in the impressive landscape of Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula
