The Pavilion | Ross Gardam

The inspiration behind Pavilion stems from Gardam’s long-standing fascination with Brutalist architecture. In particular, the honesty and monolithic sense of grandeur. The façade is open, expansive and inviting, drawing focus first to the curved entry, followed by the beams which compel people to continue through the interior until arriving at the internal courtyard of the atrium. The atrium, in turn, transitions to the Australian bushland outside.

Emphasis was put on minimalism, using concrete in situ as the base material. Creating contrast was key, seen in the curved roof detail, which softens the walls and beams leading to the atrium. To establish an intuitive sense of flow, the horizontal planes, beams and external uprights were secured in place via a physical cut-out of the façade for the beams to sit. Each element seamlessly locks together through this singular interaction – ultimately unifying the building.

As a space providing scale and form for staging Gardam’s designs, careful consideration was given to curating the furniture and lighting inside – including the journey to discover them. Reflecting Gardam’s belief that objects are not meant

to exist in isolation, but rather in relation to ourselves and our surroundings. To this end, the interior consists of four rooms with interconnected views to one another, as well as to the internal courtyard and the exterior. This simultaneous view of each adjacent space adds to the intrigue, triggering curiosity for people to explore the entire interior, leading out to the Australian landscape.

Intrinsic to the architecture of Pavilion was the idea of incorporating the nature outside – inside, as part of the narrative. The external environment reveals the location as unmistakably Australian, replete with eucalyptus trees, native ferns and other foliage surrounding the exterior, providing unique portals from the oversized apertures of Pavilion. The landscape flows up to the footing of the building and into the open atrium, thus softening the relationship between Pavilion and its environs.

Pavilion has been photographed at various intervals throughout the day, allowing people to experience subtle nuances in the play of light on Gardam’s furniture and lamps in situ. In doing so, this displays the sculptural appeal of the lamps during the day when switched off, as well as the various moods and types of light they emit in the evening when illuminated. The internal images were taken early in the morning when fog engulfed Pavilion. External images were taken in full afternoon sun, followed by more intimate lighting in photos taken at dusk.

Created in tandem with Melbourne-based digital agency Mr.P, Pavilion is intended as inspiration for any space, scenario, interior or exterior envisioned for Gardam’s designs.