MPavilion 2022 opens in Melbourne

MPavilion, an initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, has unveiled its ninth MPavilion designed by all(zone), an internationally acclaimed architecture practice founded by Rachaporn Choochuey, based in Bangkok. Designed and delivered by a female-led team, all(zone)’s MPavilion 2022 experiments with materials never before used in Australia to create a colourful and joyful setting for MPavilion’s summer program of free events in the Queen Victoria Gardens.

Design director of all(zone) Rachaporn Choochuey said: “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 have been a huge step forward for us in understanding the possibilities of fabric-based architecture.”

Naomi Milgrom AC founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and commissioner of the MPavilion project said: “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.”

Designed to celebrate being 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. The middle layer is crafted from a cutting-edge STFE membrane supplied by French manufacturer Serge Ferrari. As transparent as glass but 10 times lighter, this polyarylate mesh reduces glare and keeps the MPavilion weatherproof. It’s the first time STFE technology has been used in Australia. Lastly, the bottom layer features a waffle of coloured fabric that moves with the breeze and filters light, evoking the feeling of gently resting under trees.

This year, award-winning Melbourne-based lighting design practice, Bluebottle, has collaborated with MPavilion again to realise the architectural lighting concept. Each night the MPavilion will be illuminated to reveal the complexity of the highly engineered structure hidden within and add intense kinetic colour across the live music program of the summer season. And in a partnership-first, Dulux will bring a fresh look to the MPavilion each month with architect Rachaporn Choochuey selecting four colours that will be used to paint the Kiosk.

MPavilion prides itself on being a driving force for architectural and design excellence in Australia, and in 2022, Naomi Milgrom AC brought together a team of powerhouse women to steer the project. The female-led design and project delivery team includes Rachaporn Choochuey, lead architect and design director of all(zone); Mai Kitmungsa, project architect of all(zone); Wittida Pyomyong, project architect of all(zone); Leanne Zilka, principal architect of ZILKA Studios; Louise Nicholson, project director of Naomi Milgrom Foundation; Chloe Dang, graduate design engineer of Oasis Tension Structures; and Jen Zielinska, creative director of MPavilion.

To bring all(zone)’s vision to life, a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers and builders from AECOM, Tensys, Schiavello and Serge Ferrari MakMax and Oasis collaborated and supported each other to design, test and work with materials used for the first time in Australia, a testament to their talent and expertise.

At the end of the season, MPavilion 2022 will be gifted to the people of Victoria and moved to a permanent new home to be engaged by the community in perpetuity, adding to the ongoing legacy and impact of the MPavilion project.

MPavilion 2022 is open free to the public in the Queen Victoria Gardens until Thursday April 6, 2023.