The 2018 MPavilion, designed by Barcelona-based architect and educator Carme Pinós of Estudio Carme Pinós, opened recently in the Queen Victoria Gardens. Pinós's MPavilion marks the first public work in Australia by a female Spanish architect.
Initiated and commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation with support from the City of Melbourne, Victorian State Government through Creative Victoria and ANZ, MPavilion 2018 is the fifth in an ongoing series of annual architect-designed summer pavilions for Melbourne. The pavilion this year celebrates building communities and women in leadership, and heralds a free four-month program of events, featuring over 500 Australian and international guests and collaborators.
"In designing this year's MPavilion, I wanted firstly to make a space for the people of Melbourne to feel connected-to each other, to the city they live in, and to nature," Pinós commented. "We are all part of the world, and architecture can tell that story and provide a place for us to experience life together. I hope the MPavilion becomes a flow of knowledge and creativity this summer."
In true Pinós form, the sculptural design incorporates majestic wings inspired by origami that, rather than make a heroic statement, open the MPavilion to the city, encouraging movement, meetings and new experiences. The geometric configuration assembled in two distinct halves intersect with each other to form the pavilion's roof. An altered topography forms three mounds that incorporate seating, allowing a multitude of community-focused activities to 'unfold' during the MPavilion 2018/19 season of events. Designed for MPavilion and to celebrate the opening, Carme has also released a special commissioned stool made in Spain by hand-tinted birch plywood.
Photography: John Gollings