Every year, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation commissions an architect to design a temporary pavilion for the Queen Victoria Gardens, in the center of Melbourne's Southbank Arts Precinct. The pavilions are then transferred to the state of Victoria. The tenth edition of the MPavilion was designed by Pritzker Prize Laureate Tadao Ando as his first and only built work in Australia and the southern hemisphere. The pavilion opened on November 16, 2023, and its presence was extended until March 2025, hosting a wide-ranging program of cultural events over two summer seasons. After facing demolition, given the temporary nature of the initiative, a community-led program, "Preserve the Pavilion", was launched in hopes of preserving the building. The Naomi Milgrom Foundation has recently announced that the pavilion will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens until 2030, following a decision by the City of Melbourne.
The conservation campaign has gathered over 2,500 signatures from members of the public, as well as over 100 artist collaborator signatures, and 60 industry letters. demonstrating a commitment to preserving the structure as a gathering space for cultural and artistic events. The pavilion has also received international acclaim, having received 10 global design awards. This decision ensured that the pavilion will remain open and free for all for several more years.
Architecture is not only about buildings, it is about creating places for people and nature to coexist. I am honoured that MPavilion will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens as a place for the community to gather and reflect. - Tadao Ando
As part of the preservation campaign, the MPavilion was photographed by Pier Carthew. The series documents the structure after its closure, prior to the reopening decision, "caught in a moment of stillness between use and uncertainty." Advocates for preservation have highlighted the pavilion's cultural and architectural significance. It is valued as "a structure of quiet power and permanence that invites reflection in conversation with nature," and is recognized for its cultural importance as a space for encounter in a context of growing polarization. It is also noted for placing the city of Melbourne on the contemporary architectural scene.
I wanted to create an experience that will last forever in the hearts of all who visit… I imagined an architecture of emptiness that lets light and breeze enter and breathe life into it. A place that resonates with the environment, becomes one with the garden and blossoms with infinite creativity. - Architect Tadao Ando
As the organization states, the issue of conservation raises broader questions about the concept of value. The movement calls for reflection on how we assign value, how we care for our cultural artifacts, and what it means to sustain them environmentally, intellectually, emotionally, and spatially. The campaign is seeking public support through an open letter launched by MPavilion and the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, and through a dedicated platform created to amplify the preservation movement. The letter has been signed by members of the public, as well as internationally recognized architects such as Álvaro Siza, Jean Nouvel, Kengo Kuma, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, Eduardo Souto de Moura, John Pawson, Patrik Schumacher, Manuel Aires Mateus, Dominique Perrault, and Alberto Campo Baeza, among others.
In other recent news, Serpentine Galleries has revealed the first photos of the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion designed by Marina Tabassum. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) has announced the 19 shortlisted projects for its 2025 cycle. The award was featured in the "Beyond the Prize" discussion forum held in Venice during the opening week of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, where ArchDaily editors had the opportunity to ask award-winning architects, including Marina Tabassum, and award organizers: What would the field of architecture look like if we stopped organizing architecture awards?
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June 06, 2025, and updated on June 19th, following news of a successful resolution of the campaign.
