amanda levete commissioned for melbourne’s second annual MPavilion
image © peter guenzel

 

 

 

british architect amanda levete has been commissioned to complete the second MPavilion, a temporary structure to be built in melbourne’s queen victoria gardens. the building will house public talks, workshops, performances and installations from october 5, 2015 until february 7, 2016. its predecessor, designed by sean godsell, will be relocated to a permanent home in the gardens of the hellenic museum in melbourne’s CBD.

 

levete, whose work includes the expansion of the victoria & albert museum in london and the media centre at lord’s cricket ground, commented: ‘I’ve visited australia three times in the past six years and without doubt melbourne is my favorite city. the brief from the naomi milgrom foundation is a great opportunity to design a structure that responds to its climate and landscape.

 

‘I’m interested in exploiting the temporary nature of the pavilion form to produce a design that speaks in response to the weather. rooting the pavilion in its parkland setting, I am seeking to create the sensation of a forest canopy in the heart of the city that gives shelter to a program of events. we have a long history of working with boat builders and australia has some of the finest. we’re working with a yacht fabricator to employ the boundary-pushing technology of composite materials to create the canopy.’

 

‘I have long admired the work of amanda levete and am proud she will design the 2015 MPavilion‘, explained naomi milgrom, founder of the MPavilion series. ‘I first noticed amanda’s work in the retail environment and was deeply impressed by her radical response to the department store model with the extraordinary selfridges store in birmingham in 2003. I met amanda in 2009, when she was a guest of  the melbourne fashion festival, and have watched her practice grow and take on ever more ambitious projects that explore new materials, new techniques and new ways to approach architecture. I share her desire to ignite cultural impact and urban renewal through architecture.’

 

‘the 2015 MPavilion will be a very different temporary pavilion for the beautiful queen victoria gardens. our commission and four month program of free events allows melbourne to connect with the best local and international architects, and creative minds. amanda has designed a thought provoking space for the public to enjoy throughout summer’.

 

stay tuned for more on the MPavilion as images are revealed later this year.