A surreal, neon pink ‘car wash’ revealed at NGV International
A playful reinvention of the suburban car wash is the vision for the NGV’s 2016 Architecture Commission, designed by Melbourne-based M@ STUDIO Architects.
Inspired by an existing car wash in Blackburn, the design reimagines a familiar destination and brings it into the unfamiliar surroundings of the NGV Garden at NGV International.
Transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, the structure has a lightweight steel body with porous walls made of layered cricket netting which shimmer and shift from different perspectives.
Titled Haven’t you always wanted…?, the design includes five neon pink astro-turf car lanes, complete with rubberised waves and road markings, topped with a mirrored ‘car wash’ sign.
The commission explores the scale and appearance of the suburban landscape and invites visitors to think about building on the urban fringe, where retail outlets and supermarkets often form the basis of town centres.
Through the work, M@ STUDIO Architects highlight their interest in exploring new models for the design of Melbourne’s outer suburbs, and the value of design in facilitating community engagement with the natural and built environment.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said: “The NGV Architecture Commission has quickly become an iconic space for Melburnians, and this year’s design by M@ STUDIO Architects is sure to ignite the imaginations of visitors.”
“A dreamlike interpretation of the suburban car wash, it will offer an interactive structure for all to enjoy over spring and summer.”
The NGV Architecture Commission is an open competition which asks architects to consider innovative ways to activate one of Melbourne’s great civic spaces, the NGV Garden, with a thought-provoking work of temporary architecture.
Led by the Department of Contemporary Design and Architecture, the inaugural Architecture Commission was presented in 2015 by John Wardle Architects, who designed an exuberant pavilion of steel, timber and hand-formed textile elements.
2016 Architecture Commission: M@ STUDIO Architects will be on display in the NGV Garden at NGV International from 14 October 2016 to April 2017. Open daily, 10am-5pm. Entry is free.
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