The Lump Sum 2016 MPavilion Project built by Kane and designed by Indian practice Studio Mumbai opened in Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens, opposite the city's cultural hub of The Arts Centre and The National Gallery of Victoria on the 4th of October 2016.
The pavilion has been handcrafted using Indian traditional construction techniques with materials sourced from both India and Australia.
“MPavilion is a space for the people of Melbourne to gather, talk, think and reflect. My objective has not been just to create a new building, but [also] to capture the spirit of the place by choosing the right materials, respecting the surrounding nature and working collaboratively with local craftspeople to share design and construction ideas,” said Bijoy Jain, founder of Studio Mumbai.
Seven kilometres of bamboo were imported from India to form the colonnade structure of the pavilion, which sits on a 50-tonne bed of bluestone flooring sourced from a quarry in Port Fairy, in south-west Victoria.
The structure is fixed together with 5,000 wooden pins and 26 kilometres of rope. The roof is made from slatted panels constructed from sticks of the Karvi plant (a type of reed) and woven together by Indian craftspeople.
“Bijoy’s handcrafted MPavilion is a calming and thoughtful space, which will inspire the people of Melbourne,” said Naomi Milgrom, founder of MPavilion.
The pavilion was constructed by a team of craftspeople in India as well as Kane Constructions builders who travelled to India to participate in Studio Mumbai’s collaborative design and construction process.
Studio Mumbai’s pavilion is the third in a series of four annual pavilions commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and inspired by London’s Serpentine Pavilion concept. MPavilion 2014, designed by Australian practice Sean Godsell Architects and built by Kane, was gifted to Melbourne and is now permanently located at the Hellenic Museum. MPavilion 2015, designed by London-based Amanda Levete Architects and built by Kane has been permanently relocated to a park in Docklands.
Photos: John Gollings