bijoy jain reveals design for melbourne’s 2016 MPavilion

bijoy jain reveals bamboo design for melbourne’s 2016 MPavilion

plans have been revealed for this year’s MPavilion, designed by indian architect bijoy jain of studio mumbai. now in its third year, the series’ 2016 iteration will serve as an event hub, meeting place, and temporary landmark for the australian city of melbourne. exploring the theme of ‘handmade architecture’, bamboo, earth, stone, and rope will be used in the structure’s realization.

naomi milgrom foundation releases design of MPavilion 2016
video courtesy of naomi milgrom foundation

bijoy jain’s design for the MPavilion was released by the naomi milgrom foundation, a not-for-profit organization that initiates and supports public design and architecture projects. the bamboo structure will be 12 meters in height, with a earthen roof intended to represent the australian landscape. similar to a ‘tazia’ used in indian ceremonies, the pavilion is topped with a complex tower made in bharuch by a family that specializes in the ancient craft. ‘the idea is not to guide observers, but to allow discoveries through visual layers of thinking, making and seeing,’ explains jain.

the structure will serve as an event hub, meeting place, and temporary landmark
image courtesy of studio mumbai

for the past six months, bijoy jain and his team of craftsmen have tested the pavilion through a series of models and full-scale prototypes. a group of australian builders even traveled to mumbai to take part in jain’s collaborative approach to construction. the awning and roof cladding panels are constructed using a traditional indian technique whereby a mixture of cow dung and earth are tied to the bamboo structure and covered in a waterproof white lime daub. see more images of the project’s testing phase in the gallery at the bottom of the page.

the project explores the theme of ‘handmade architecture’
image courtesy of studio mumbai

‘I wanted to create a space that connects the entire culture of the land,’ adds bijoy jain. ‘the tower or ‘tazia’ is an imaginary building that reaches deep into the stars, so it is otherworldly, and through it you can see the stars, the sky, other dimensions. I want the MPavilion to be the scaffolding that provides a creative space that suspends visitors between earth, ground and sky.’

a team of craftsmen have tested the pavilion through models and full-scale prototypes
image by nicholas watt

‘bijoy jain’s practice is unique in that it focuses on honoring age-old crafts and building-techniques, which resonate strongly in this technologized world,’ says naomi milgrom, founder of the MPavilion series. ‘as an architect, bijoy thinks like an artist. his buildings are realized around a central idea, and are then fleshed out through an extensive process of collaboration, and always, careful consideration of the surrounding environment.’

MPavilion 2016 will take eight weeks to construct, and will remain open to the public from october 5, 2016 to february 18, 2017.

the awning and roof cladding will be constructed using a traditional indian technique
image by nicholas watt