The home of the 2015 MPavilion structure has been unveiled to the public in the Melbourne suburb of Docklands.
Landscape architecture firm, MALA Studio, designed and developed the CLEC Site Masterplan for the site at the corner of Collins Street and Harbour Esplanade. The recently completed 6,000-square-metre park marks the second stage of the project.
Stage two incorporated a multi-purpose sports court, exercise stations, ping pong tables, daybeds, seats, gardens and green open spaces. Last year, Amanda Levete’s forest-like 2015 MPavilion structure was relocated during stage one.
MALA’s project has been described as one of Melbourne’s “new generation smart parks”, offering free Wi-Fi and phone charging stations. A number of weather and data collecting instruments have also been incorporated throughout the park.
Despite this, the project does not forget its context. All the timbers used in the design were salvaged from the recently demolished Docklands North Wharf, less than 400 metres from the CLEC site.
According to MALA’s director, Campbell Morris, the overall project aimed to “provide the missing green link between the existing Docklands Park and Collins Street, provide a green setting for the MPavilion and consolidate the site as a key recreational hub for the Docklands residents, workers and visitors”.
Originally, the triangular site was one of the last sections of undeveloped public land in the precinct. The site consisted of a series of dilapidated and disconnected buildings, plazas, courts and artworks, and contained a high-pressure gas easement.
