Melbourne mayor Nicholas Reece has decided that the MPavilion by Japanese architect Tadao Ando will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens until 2030.
The decision follows a petition for the structure to remain in place permanently, beyond its original planned five-month installation period, due to its concrete walls being difficult to relocate.
Ando “honoured” by city’s decision
MPavilion is an annual commission for an architect-designed pavilion in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens. The pavilions usually remain on site for five months before being relocated elsewhere in the city.
The campaign to retain Ando’s MPavilion 10, which was built in 2023, was initiated by Australian philanthropist Naomi Milgrom, who owns the foundation behind the programme.
It was supported by architects including Alvaro Siza, Alberto Campo Baeza, Dominique Perrault, Jean Nouvel and Patrik Schumacher, with over 2,500 people in the community signing a petition.
Following the announcement this morning, Ando said he was “honoured that MPavilion will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens as a place for the community to gather and reflect”.
“Architecture is not only about buildings, it is about creating places for people and nature to coexist,” he added.
“My deepest thanks to Naomi Milgrom, a true champion of architecture, whose vision and generosity have made this possible.”
Tadao Ando’s concrete MPavilion will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens until 2030
Ando’s MPavilion, which opened in November 2023, is his first and only building in the Southern Hemisphere.
Its geometric form was created from two offset squares, built around a large concrete column that supports a 4.4-metre disc.
It was designed as a deliberately sparse space where visitors can reflect on the surrounding Queen Victoria Gardens, with narrow slits in the concrete providing views of the greenery.
“The emptiness, in its silence, lets the light and wind enter and breathe life into the space,” Ando said when the pavilion was first revealed in 2023.
After MPavilion 10’s five-month installation period, it was granted a one-year extension, before closing in March 2025.
Fate beyond 2030 to be decided
The decision to keep it in place until 2030 was made by Melbourne’s newly elected mayor, Reece, along with nine other councillors. The fate of the MPavilion 10 after this date is yet to be decided.
As its owners, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation will be responsible for caring for the pavilion “at no cost to the public”. It will also curate a cultural programme for the pavilion.
The pavilion is Ando’s first and only building in the Southern Hemisphere
“We would like to thank the thousands from across Australia and globally who added their name in support to keep this pavilion in the gardens for longer,” said Milgrom.
“MPavilion will continue to be a place for the architecture, design, arts and creative communities and all Melburnians.”
Nine temporary MPavilions have been built in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens since the Naomi Milgrom Foundation launched the commission in 2014. Alongside Ando, pavilions have been contributed by OMA, Glenn Murcutt and Carme Pinós.
While Ando’s is officially named MPavilion 10, it was the ninth pavilion to be built, as there was no pavilion in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seven of the pavilions have found permanent homes in Melbourne, gifted to institutions including Hellenic Museum and Melbourne Zoo, while an eighth is currently in storage.
Earlier this month, we rounded up the previous MPavilions to show how they are being used today.
Another prestigious pavilion commission is the Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. This year’s structure, designed by Marina Tabassum, was recently unveiled.
This year, the pavilion sits alongside the Play Pavilion – a pavilion designed by Peter Cook for families to enjoy.
The photography is by Pier Carthew.
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