“The consistent factor in all of my work is my interest in light. I am interested in the way light creates transitions and moments in architecture,” Ando explains.
“For MPavilion, the spatial sequence of circles and squares creates spatial sequences of light and dark. These change throughout the day and the seasons as the sun moves through the sky. The surfaces that the light touches also change – walls reveal arresting patterns of shadows, while the water from the reflecting pool may cast dappled patterns on a previously plain surface,” he says.
Ando adds that his design began with a desire to deliver a sense of eternity within the Gardens: “Eternal, not in material or structure, but in the memory of a landscape that will continue to live in people’s hearts. To reflect the lively nature of the site, like a blank canvas, I imagined an architecture of emptiness.” Pure geometry outlines the composition of this design, he continues.
“Ancient Egyptians used fundamental geometry to create ordered spaces and structures in the natural world. Geometry formed the foundation of philosophical study in ancient Greece. It is the expression of human reason and the pursuit of ethereal space. With the circle and square, emptiness is given form. The emptiness, in its silence, lets the light and wind enter and breathe life into the space. The emptiness provokes a chance encounter between individuals and engenders dialogues. The emptiness resonates with the environment, becomes one with the garden, and blossoms into a microcosmos of infinite creativity,” he relates.
In designing MPavilion 10, Ando was also inspired by the iconic Sydney Opera House. “When I first visited Australia in the 1980s and saw the Opera House, I thought, ‘This is architecture’. I realised that experiencing different cultures through architecture and wanting to create something new, even within a completely different cultural context, could be a powerful force,” he says.
While MPavilion 10 is smaller in scale, Ando points out that he wanted to design something similar, “an experience of a lifetime akin to my experience at the Opera House.”
Connecting People
Ando believes that architecture has the power to facilitate connections, inspire communities to realise the wonder of their natural surroundings, as well as leave people feeling better. This, he notes, is what makes a structure or building memorable. Ultimately, he hopes that MPavilion 10 unites the people who gather there. “Architecture should be more than just a business: it should touch and connect hearts,” he says.
