The 2016 MPavilion, designed by Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai, has opened in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens. Over the next four months, the bamboo structure will play host to a free public program of over 400 talks, workshops, performances and installations.Bijoy Jain’s design joins the growing international trend of “handmade architecture” as it becomes the largest bamboo structure in Australia, utilizing 7 kilometers of Indian bamboo, 50,000 kilograms of Australian bluestone, 5,000 wooden pins and 26 kilometers of rope to cover a 16.8 square meter area. The slatted roof panels are constructed from sticks of the Karvi plant and were woven together by craftspeople in India over a four month period.
“MPavilion is a space for the people of Melbourne to gather, talk, think and to reflect,” said Bijoy Jain. “My objective has not just been to create a new building, but 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.”
An large opening at the center of the roof provides a connection between earth and sky, with a golden well placed below to symbolize the importance of water to place and community. Adjacent to the pavilion, a traditional Indian ‘Tazia’ tower welcomes and directs visitors toward the shelter. At night, the pavilion will feature a lighting design by Ben Cobham of Bluebottle, coordinated with a specially commissioned soundscape by artists Geoff Nees and J David Franzke.
