Pavilion for Queen Victoria Gardens

Each year since 2014, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation of Australia has commissioned an architect to design a pavilion for the Queen Victoria Gardens, in the center of Melbourne’s Southbank Arts Precinct. The MPavilion then becomes the focus of a free program season of cultural events and interventions, lively talks, performances, workshops, installations and kid-friendly experiences. 

This year, the MPavilion was designed by all(zone) Ltd., a Bangkok, Thailand-based architecture firm led by acclaimed architect Rachaporn Choochuey. “After being confined for a long time during the pandemic, and with the MPavilion situated in the heart of Melbourne—where the lockdown period was the longest—we began the project with the idea to celebrate outdoor living,” says Choochuey. “We visualized rays of light flickering through layers of leaves that give a very relaxing ambiance—like being
under a big tree. We wanted MPavilion to be a place where people could meet, enjoy and live in the moment, free.”

Experimenting with materials and forms being used for the first time in Australia, all(zone) has designed a unique and stimulating space for people to interact with MPavilion’s thought-provoking and diverse program, which is heading into its ninth season as a pivotal part of the city’s cultural calendar.

The MPavilion will be made from layers of custom colored nets and architectural fabrics with a waterproof membrane often seen in stadiums. The membrane layer is a cutting-edge lightweight mesh supplied by the French company Serge Ferrari that is as transparent as glass but 10 times lighter. It allows light and color to shine through the MPavilion while keeping the structure weatherproof and minimizing its impact on the environment.

At the close of each season, the MPavilion is gifted by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation to the people of Victoria and relocated to a new, permanent home, where it can be enjoyed by the community.

Project

MPavilion 2022 

Location

Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne, Australia 

Organized by

Naomi Milgrom Foundation

Design

all(zone) Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand

Engineering consultant

TENSYS, Victoria, Australia

Fabric

Custom membrane by Serge Ferrari 

Collaborator

AECOM, Brisbane, Australia