OMA’s 2017 MPavilion design has been revealed
The Naomi Milgrom Foundation has revealed the design of the 2017 MPavilion by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of international practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).
Taking its cues from the ancient ampitheatre, MPavilion 2017 blurs the lines between inside and outside in a skilful yet empathetic manipulation of the surrounding landscape in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens.
OMA’s MPavilion design seeks not only to employ the qualities of the amphitheatre, but to build on them and bring to life a flexible space that can function as a stage, tribune or even playground.
Comprising a circular wooden amphitheatre with a rotatable component, MPavilion allows interaction from all angles and for the pavilion to open up to the backdrop of the city.
With an exterior clad in bright and saturated local flora, the structure integrates with the landscape, contrasting with the excavated amphitheatre inside. Overhead, an aluminium cladded steel grid supports a translucent roof to shield visitors from the elements while still allowing sunlight to permeate.
Explaining the design, Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten said: “The main infrastructure of the pavilion, adorned with lighting and hanging points, is within the floating roof, a two-metre-high mechanical grid structure made of aluminium-clad steel. The mechanical functions of the canopy can be activated to suit the type of event taking place; it is an open-air venue for performances, entertainment and sports.
“Existing of both static and dynamic elements, the pavilion allows for many configurations and can generate unexpected programming, echoing the ideals of the typology of the amphitheatre.”
They further commented: “MPavilion is a project that hopes to provoke discussion around what architecture can do both globally and in an Australian context. We’re interested in treating this pavilion not just as an architectural object, but as something that injects intensity into a city and contributes to an ever-evolving culture.”
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