Glenn Murcutt Designs MPavilion 2019 in Melbourne

The Naomi Milgram Foundation has commissioned Australian architect Glenn Murcutt for the 2019 MPavilion, marking the first time since 2014 that the foundation has worked with a local designer. Murcutt, the only Australian architect to have won the Pritzker Prize, designed a pavilion with a curved steel roof covered in translucent membranes and supported by metal pillars, creating a central nave. The structure incorporates LED lighting to glow like a lantern in Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens. The design offers sequential views over three levels: the gardens, the Yarra River, and the city. The pavilion hosts cultural events including conferences, workshops, art installations, cinema, and design, in collaboration with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Royal College of Art, Melbourne Music Week, and Climate Emergency Cinema. The MPavilion runs until March 22, 2020, and will be donated to the city for permanent relocation afterward. Murcutt's philosophy, 'Touch the earth lightly,' emphasizes environmental sensitivity, and his notable works include the Donaldson House, Australian Islamic Centre, and Mange House. He has also received the Alvar Aalto Medal and gold medals from the Australian Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Architects.