Doubleground, the installation designed by Melbourne architecture practice MUIR and landscape architecture studio OPENWORK, and selected for the 2018 NGV Architecture Commission will be unveiled this month at the NGV International’s Grollo Equiset Garden.

The result of a design collaboration between the two practices, the installation takes inspiration from key architectural elements of Sir Roy Grounds’ iconic NGV International in the building’s 50th anniversary year.

The winning proposal for the fourth annual competition, Doubleground was selected for its collaborative and multi-disciplinary design approach, which promotes the positive relationship between architecture, landscape and civic space.

MUIR and OPENWORK have already commenced work on the installation ahead of its public unveiling.

Doubleground’s temporary architecture will literally raise sections of the landscape and create chasm-like passageways for visitors to explore between the tilted embankments. Architect Amy Muir drew on childhood memories of visiting the NGV to create a digital collage that uses architectural components from the building for the design blueprint.

For instance, the canyon-like corridor references the triangular patterns of the NGV’s façade and glass wall of the Great Hall, a decking area recalls Grounds’ timber design for the Gallery foyer while a bamboo garden is inspired by the building’s original Bamboo Court courtyard.

Tony Ellwood, director says, NGV: “2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the NGV International building and Doubleground is a concept that offers visitors a unique opportunity to reflect upon and re-examine the history and design of the Gallery as an integral part of Melbourne’s public realm.

Now in its fourth year, the NGV Architecture Commission continues to be a highlight of the NGV's summer program, offering visitors a space for both playful interaction and quiet reflection.”

Says Amy Muir, director, MUIR: “The 2018 Architecture Commission provides an intervention that challenges the role of the NGV Garden. Acknowledging the intent and architectural language of the original Roy Grounds building, the Commission seeks to bring the memories of place back into play. We hope that the commission will allow visitors to see the NGV Garden in a new way.”

The NGV Architecture Commission is an open national competition, which invites architects each year to create a site-specific work of temporary architecture, activating the NGV’s Grollo Equiset Garden.

The NGV Architecture Commission is led by the NGV’s Department of Contemporary Design and Architecture. Previous winners have included John Wardle Architects (2015), M@ STUDIO Architects (2016) and Retallack Thompson and Other Architects (2017).

The 2018 NGV Architecture Commission is supported by RMIT University and The Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation, managed by Equity Trustees.

The NGV Architecture Commission is a component of the State Government’s annual Victorian Design Program and will be on display at NGV International from November 2018 to April 2019. Entry is free.

For more information about the NGV Architecture Commission, please visit NGV.MELBOURNE.