ROSS GARDAM
PAVILION
6
THE SPACE
BETWEEN
00
PAVILION WAS CREATED AS
A UNIVERSAL SPACE FOR
EXHIBITING THE EXPANDING
PORTFOLIO OF FURNITURE
AND LIGHTING BY AUSTRALIAN
DESIGNER ROSS GARDAM.
THE PURPOSE IS TO ENABLE
PEOPLE TO TRANSPORT
THEMSELVES TO A SPATIAL
EXPERIENCE THAT DEFIES TIME
AND PLACE, SHOWCASING AN
ARRAY OF ORIGINAL IDEAS
THAT QUESTION CONVENTION.
METICULOUSLY-CRAFTED
CONCEPTS THAT EXPLORE
THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
BETWEEN PEOPLE, OBJECTS
AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS.
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.
