Temple of Boom – NGV Architecture Commission Series by NWMN

As an exploration of public buildings and their engagement with the many faces they wear over time, the latest iteration to the NGV Architecture Commission series by NWMN sees the birth of Temple of Boom as a celebration of coming together. Bringing life and animation to a contemporary reinterpretation of the iconic Parthenon structure, the form engages with existing commissions and the landscape, encouraging an interaction.

Set within the idyllic gardens to the rear of the main gallery buildings of the NGV Melbourne, the Architecture Commission series is an opportunity for design and the arts to coalesce and bring an eclectic gathering into the one space. Looking to one of the earliest examples of successful outdoor public space, awarded architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang of NWMN reference the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens and its prominence within both Western civilisation and as a symbol of democracy in proposing the 2022 insertion. In responding to recent times, the space becomes a conduit for performers, live artists, musicians and the public to be brought back together and to enliven the city through a sensory heightening.

By sculpting a form that is both connected and deconstructed in parts, the modern reference is one of adaptation and openness to change.

Initially imagined as a temple to worship Venus, the original Parthenon varied in a multitude of uses over the years – at one point a munition store and later as a theatre – but always standing on either side of various wars as a staple despite the changing of times. By sculpting a form that is both connected and deconstructed in parts, the modern reference is one of adaptation and openness to change. Using the existing pond structure as the platform for the base and integrating key sloping features for access, the form sits naturally amongst the landscape, withholding some of the recycled glass and concrete formwork as it intersects with the existing treescape.

A trio of uniquely defined artists have overlaid their own imprint onto the canvas structure, each making an individual statement about an engagement between the built and natural worlds. Drez works to create a light-play through the gradient and sweeping colour application on the columns and capital elements, tweaked through subtleties as the columns move further away. Intersecting these, the painted monochromatic work of Manda Lane expresses an overgrowth that occurs over time and the process of allowing nature to encase a form. David Lee Pereira then brings another layer of hyper-realistic painting work, most prominently on the floor platform, allowing guests to engage with the works, while a higher-level application interacts with the other painting works.

A trio of uniquely defined artists overlay their own imprint onto the canvas structure, each making an individual statement about an engagement between the built and natural worlds.

Seeing the various pieces evolve as they wrap around the structure is the result of an open brief and a willingness to engage with the form. Much like how the public willingly takes ownership over shared outdoor realms, Temple of Boom becomes an offering of similar proportions. With a program partially set and evolving as time progresses, the space is a gesture of bringing people back together and using both the arts and architecture as the ideal conduit.

The NGV Architecture Commission is an annual series that invites Australian architects to create a work of site-specific, ephemeral architecture for the NGV Garden. The NGV Architecture Commission 2022: Temple of Boom is on display from 22 November 2022 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne, and entry is free.