MPavilions find "meaningful second life" on sites across Melbourne

With the fate of MPavilion 10 by Tadao Ando hanging in the balance, we look back at all the programme's past pavilions and ask, where are they now?

Nine temporary MPavilions have been built in Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens since the Naomi Milgrom Foundation launched the programme in 2014, with OMA, Glenn Murcutt and Carme Pinós among the architects to have contributed designs.

Seven of these pavilions have found permanent homes in the city, gifted to institutions including Melbourne Zoo and the Hellenic Museum, while an eighth is currently in storage.

Melbourne City Council officials have said they will decide in June whether the ninth pavilion, designed by Japanese architect Ando, can remain in Queen Victoria Gardens permanently.

Ando's MPavilion opened in November 2023 and is the architect's first and only building in the Southern Hemisphere. While it 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.

Its future remains undecided because it has cast concrete walls, which some believe make it impossible to move.

"Unlike other MPavilions, the MPavilion by Tadao Ando is not relocatable," a City of Melbourne spokesperson told The Art Newspaper.

However, Naomi Milgrom said her foundation was determined to give a new purpose to all of the MPavilions in Melbourne after their five-month installation period.

"We remain committed to ensuring that each pavilion finds a meaningful second life where it can continue to serve the community in new and inspiring ways," she said.

Milgrom has petitioned for the pavilion to remain in place, with the campaign supported by architects Alvaro Siza, Alberto Campo Baeza, Dominique Perrault, Jean Nouvel, Patrik Schumacher and many more.

The city initially granted the pavilion a one-year extension, allowing it to attract a record 300,000 visitors before its eventual closure in March 2025. Its long-term future will be decided by the newly elected mayor Nicholas Reece and nine other councillors.

Read on to find out where the other eight MPavilions are now:

MPavilion 2014 by Sean Godsell
Moved to Hellenic Museum

The inaugural pavilion, by Melbourne-based Sean Godsell, features pneumatic arms that allow it to open and close like a flower.

It is now located in the courtyard of Melbourne's Hellenic Museum, where it serves as a flexible event space.

"Inspired by the symmetry of classical Greek architecture, Sean Godsell's unfolding structure subtly echoes the museum's classical roots," said Milgrom.

MPavilion 2015 by Amanda Levete
Moved to Docklands

The London-based AL_A founder created a crystalline canopy of carbon-fibre petals supported on flexible stems to create the feeling of being in a forest.

It was relocated to the city's fast-developing Docklands area, where Milgrom said it "offers a striking contrast to the surrounding inner-city environment".

"It softens the city's hard edges, offering a wondrous place of shade, to pause and connect in a fast-changing precinct," she said.

MPavilion 2016 by Bijoy Jain
Moved to Melbourne Zoo

The pavilion designed by Indian architect Jain, founder of Studio Mumbai, was built using seven kilometres of bamboo, 26 kilometres of rope and 50 tonnes of stone.

Its permanent home is Melbourne Zoo in Parkville, offering visitors a place to rest and find shade.

"Jain's hand-crafted structure celebrates natural materials, traditional craft and human connection," said Milgrom. "These ideas sit naturally alongside the zoo's broader focus on conservation and education."

MPavilion 2017 by OMA
Moved to Monash Clayton

With its tiered grandstands and a floating roof, the MPavilion by Rem Koolhaas's OMA was designed to be reconfigurable for ultimate flexibility.

Gifted to Monash University, it facilitates a programme of events, installations, performances and workshops at the school's Clayton campus.

"At the heart of Monash's cultural and innovation precinct, OMA's amphitheatre-inspired pavilion invites interaction from all angles," said Milgrom.

MPavilion 2018 by Carme Pinós
Moved to Monash Peninsula

Barcelona-based Carme Pinós designed an origami-inspired pavilion, formed of overlapping, angular planes.

It became the second pavilion gifted to Monash University, installed at the coastal Peninsula campus.

Milgrom said it "feels right at home" in its new location.

"Its open design connects with the surrounding landscape and native plant life; it is frequently used for club and social events, informal catchups and academic talks," she said.

MPavilion 2019 by Glenn Murcutt
Moved to University of Melbourne

Inspired by an aircraft wing, the design by Australia's only Pritzker Prize winner, Glenn Murcutt, features a softly illuminated ceiling and retractable fabric blinds.

Now installed at the University of Melbourne's Parkville campus, it hosts a varied cultural programme that ranges from jazz performances to gong rituals.

"It responds to light, shade and weather, creating a flexible, open space that supports cross-disciplinary programming and everyday moments alike," said Milgrom.

MPavilion 2021 by MAP Studio
Currently in storage

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that no pavilion was built in 2020. Venetian office MAP Studio designed the next one, in 2021, as a three-dimensional lattice that combined mirrored panels with pops of bright yellow.

The pavilion was set to be used for the Commonwealth Games, but the plans had to be cancelled when the Victorian government decided to cancel the event. Today, it remains in storage.

"There continues to be active discussions for its relocation," said Milgrom. "It's a unique piece and we want to ensure it finds a fitting second home where it can continue to inspire."

MPavilion 2022 by All(zone)
Moved to RMIT Brunswick

Rachaporn Choochuey of Bangkok-based All(zone) explored tensile architecture with her MPavilion, a colourful marquee made from fishing nets, transparent membrane and a textile "waffle".

Another Melbourne university became the recipient. The pavilion was relocated to RMIT's design campus in Brunswick.

"With its lightweight, adaptive textile structure and bold colour palette, the pavilion serves as both a cultural landmark and hands-on resource for students and collaborators across art, fashion and design," said Milgrom.

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