tadao ando's MPavilion 10 design emerges as a sanctuary in australia

tadao ando-designed structure unveiled for mpavilion 10

On November 16, 2023, MPavilion, the flagship initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, had opened its milestone MPavilion 10, designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Tadao Ando, in Queen Victoria Gardens, Australia. While the tenth edition was initially set to run until March 28, 2024, recent news from the foundation and City of Melbourne reveals that public access to Tadao’s pavilion will be extended for another year, through March 2025. The extension will provide Melburnians and visitors alike greater opportunity to experience the iconic design — reflecting the architect’s signature use of striking geometric interventions in nature and his precise, assured use of concrete. This is also his first and only project in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

all images © John Gollings, courtesy MPavilion

a sancturay-like pavilion infused wth geometry and symmetry

The spatially pure MPavilion design by Tadao Ando (see more here) features a large canopy — a 14.4-meter aluminum-clad disc resting on a central concrete column — and two offset squares that create entrances to its center. Concrete walls of varying lengths partially enclose the space to create a tranquil sanctuary reminiscent of a traditional Japanese walled garden. A long (almost 17 m x .225 m) horizontal opening running both the length of the north and south walls frames views of downtown Melbourne and the parklands, connecting the city and lush greenery of Queen Victoria Gardens to MPavilion 10’s interior. The geometric forms and symmetry are reinforced by an internal arrangement that is half paved, and half reflecting pool, which mirrors the pavilion canopy, sky, city, and surrounding nature.

aerial view of the MPavilion 10 design by Tadao Ando

more on the 10th edition in melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens

The program of over 150 free events with hundreds of collaborators is curated along three themes. In November and December 2023, programming considered Memories of Place, the links between water, gardens, and changing landscapes, and how we benefit from nurturing their existence and stories. In January and February 2024, the festival honored Craftsmanship, platforming those who practice it and the artistry and devotion involved. A Blank Canvas in March 2024 was supposed to close out MPavilion 10, celebrating Ando’s design philosophy and sparking creativity through his minimalism, masterful conception of space, and use of light, shadow, and water.

reflecting the architect’s striking geometric style and his assured use of concrete

Reflecting on those past months, Naomi Milgrom says: ‘[…] Being in the pavilion, looking across water and out to the green of the surrounding parklands has an immediate and unique calming effect, a slowing down amidst the fast pace of contemporary life. The pavilion has seen myriad curated and informal activities this last summer, from pilates and picnics to drawing, photography and more. Engaging in great architecture and design enriches our city and our lives, and this extended partnership with the City of Melbourne means even more of the community can now enjoy these moments for another year.

two offset squares create two entrances