Over the past decade, the annual MPavilion program has changed Melbourne’s cultural landscape – literally. A hit list of high-profile international architects – including Rotterdam’s Rem Koolhaas, Carme Pinós from Barcelona and Bijoy Jain of Mumbai, as well as Australia’s only Pritzker-awarded architect, Glenn Murcutt – have designed temporary structures for it. The structures are installed on the same site in the Queen Victoria Gardens over the summer, and then repurposed elsewhere around the city.

The program of events, workshops and talks draws people from around the country, and has been getting more bums on seats each year. Although the seating acts in a supporting role, it is nonetheless intrinsic to the performance. A special commission is awarded each time to a designer or architect to create a chair or stool to populate the pavilion.