Architecture

Carme Pinós nestles a nature-oriented folding shelter into Melbourne parkland

Carme Pinós nestles a nature-oriented folding shelter into Melbourne parkland
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
View 14 Images
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
1/14
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
Each year, the Queen Victoria Gardens in the heart of Melbourne plays host to an eye-catching popup pavilion designed by an internationally acclaimed architect
2/14
Each year, the Queen Victoria Gardens in the heart of Melbourne plays host to an eye-catching popup pavilion designed by an internationally acclaimed architect
Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months
3/14
Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months
The MPavilions will be gifted to the city of Melbourne and rebuilt elsewhere once the official program ends in February
4/14
The MPavilions will be gifted to the city of Melbourne and rebuilt elsewhere once the official program ends in February
The MPavilion 2018 is an origami-inspired shelter that explores light, shadows and a connection with nature
5/14
The MPavilion 2018 is an origami-inspired shelter that explores light, shadows and a connection with nature
Beneath the MPavilion 2018
6/14
Beneath the MPavilion 2018
The MPavilion 2018
7/14
The MPavilion 2018
Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof
8/14
Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
9/14
In designing the new MPavilion, Carme Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city
The MPavilion 2018
10/14
The MPavilion 2018
Looking upwards at the MPavilion 2018
11/14
Looking upwards at the MPavilion 2018
Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof
12/14
Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof
The MPavilions will be gifted to the city of Melbourne and rebuilt elsewhere once the official program ends in February
13/14
The MPavilions will be gifted to the city of Melbourne and rebuilt elsewhere once the official program ends in February
Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months
14/14
Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months
View gallery - 14 images

Each year, the Queen Victoria Gardens in the heart of Melbourne plays host to an eye-catching popup pavilion designed by an internationally acclaimed architect. This time around it was esteemed Spanish designer and educator Carme Pinós who took the reins, crafting an origami-inspired shelter that explores light, shadows and an inner-city connection with nature.

Nestled into the city's arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months, just like previous instalments. Beyond that, it is an open public space for anybody to stop by, unwind and take in the surroundings.

The MPavilion 2018
The MPavilion 2018

In designing the new MPavilion, Pinós sought to come up with a way to connect the structure to the city. This is visibly manifested in the grassy mounds that surround the pavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof.

Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof
Grassy mounds surround the MPavilion and offer tiered seating, while also serving as the anchor points for the huge floating planes that make up its walls and roof

These consist of metal framing with latticed timber laid over the top, while a clear layer of polycarbonate inside offers protection from the rain. That latticework leads to distinct patterns of light and shadows as the Sun moves through the sky, while the transparent polycarbonate allows the pitter patter of the rain to be heard and water to be seen running across the surface.

Looking upwards at the MPavilion 2018
Looking upwards at the MPavilion 2018

"We will be inside the pavilion, but always feeling as if we are also on a balcony facing nature, and connecting with the surrounding community," Pinós writes.

The way the two large timber planes fold and join with one another is inspired by origami, and is designed to blur the boundaries between "architecture and urbanism." The structure was also conceived to be easily disassembled and reconstructed because, like previous MPavilions, it will be gifted to the city and rebuilt elsewhere once the official program ends in February.

Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months
Nestled into the city’s arts precinct by the banks of the Yarra River, the MPavilion 2018 will be used as a gathering space for talks, workshops and cultural events across the summer months

If you want to see more of the MPavilion, there are a few more images in the gallery, and you can hear from its creator in the video below.

More information: MPavilion

MPavilion 2018 design by Carme Pinós of Estudio Carme Pinós

View gallery - 14 images
No comments
0 comments
There are no comments. Be the first!