MPavilion 2015 gifted to the people of Melbourne

RELATED

• Studio Mumbai founder Bijoy Jain the MPavilion 2016 architect
• MPavilion 2015 a forest canopy of composite materials
• MPavilion 2014 opens in Melbourne

The corner of Collins Street and Harbour Esplanade in Docklands will soon have a new landmark, following the relocation of the MPavilion 2015 structure to the Collins Street park.

Naomi Milgrom AO & Chair of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation said Amanda Levete’s MPavilion 2015 has been gifted to the people of Melbourne and will be relocated from the Queen Victoria Gardens to its new permanent home in the Collins Street park where the installation will continue to inspire and be part of the city’s cultural heritage.

Naomi Milgrom added that the magical, forest-like structure joins a growing family of architectural masterpieces to be enjoyed by the people of Melbourne for years to come.

MPavilion 2015, designed by Amanda Levete of London-based studio AL_A, has also been shortlisted for the World Architecture News (WAN) Awards in the Small Spaces category, which celebrates small-scale architecture.

MPavilion’s program of talks, workshops and performances concluded in Queen Victoria Gardens on 7 February 2016 with over 76,000 people attending 419 free events in the temporary pavilion over four months. The yearly architecture commission and design event is initiated by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation with support from City of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government.

The first MPavilion, commissioned in 2014 and designed by acclaimed Australian architect Sean Godsell, was gifted to the City of Melbourne and permanently resides in the gardens of Hellenic Museum in Melbourne’s CBD.

The commission for MPavilion 2016 has been awarded to acclaimed Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the second MPavilion in the series of four would provide a lasting cultural legacy for Melbourne. According to the Lord Mayor, MPavilion is a unique architectural feature that will provide a new event space, meeting hub and a symbol of the value of public art and urban design for the Docklands community.

He added that the City of Melbourne was pleased to be working with the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and Places Victoria to provide a permanent home for MPavilion 2015.

The State Government’s property developer Places Victoria will begin work on the installation of MPavilion 2015 at the Docklands site this week. Places Victoria precincts General Manager Simon Wilson said the pavilion would be incorporated into new landscaping in existing open space between Collins Street and the multipurpose sports courts on Harbour Esplanade.