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The Naomi Milgrom Foundation has awarded the MPavilion 2022 commission – to be housed in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens - to internationally renowned architecture and design practice all(zone).

The appointment of the playful Bangkok-based studio, led by co-founder and design director Rachaporn Choochuey marks the ninth consecutive MPavilion season housed in the Queen Victoria Gardens.

The award also coincides with 2022 being the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Thai-Australian diplomatic relations.

With their commitment to designing built environments where people can feel at home in the world, all(zone) are known for their lively projects which reuse and recycle local materials in bold and innovative new ways.

Choochuey and her team hold people at the heart of their designs, viewing the spaces they are creating not just as physical architecture but as platforms for people to cheerfully convene, converse and celebrate.

A notable work by all(zone) is the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai (below)– Thailand’s first contemporary art museum – which was completed in 2016.

Choochuey commented on all(zone)’s commission for MPavilion 2022 noting “we are very excited to be part of the dynamic energy of Melbourne and hope our collaborative efforts with MPavilion will inspire people to reflect more on how our built environment can help us to live better ‘together’.”

Naomi Milgrom, founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation advised “we are honoured to commission all(zone) to design MPavilion 2022. Rachaporn's architectural approach to 'the art of living lightly’ and creating spaces with people and the environment at the heart of her practice demonstrates how architecture and design can contribute to creating sustainable, equitable cities.”

The all(zone) MPavilion will be unveiled to the public on 17th November 2022 in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens and, at the conclusion of the season, will be gifted to the people of Victoria and relocated to a new, permanent home.

Choochuey has received architecture qualifications from several international institutions, including Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University and Columbia University. She received her PhD in Architecture History from the University of Tokyo. And in late 2022, she will undertake the Louis I. Kahn Assistant Visiting Professor of Fall’22 at Yale University.

all(zone)’s mission is sustainability, sourcing reused and local materials to construct its projects. Its accolades include a nomination for ‘Best Architecture Firm’ in 2019 by Domus Magazine, and in 2021, the studio’s POWWOWWOW Community Mall in Bangkok was awarded ‘Best Retail Concept’ in Monocle’s Top 50 Design Awards. The award recognises the design’s sustainability commitment, with the mall developed to combat Bangkok’s humid climate using sustainable materials and design practices rather than energy-use for air conditioning.

all(zone)’s work has been featured at several international exhibitions, including New York’s Guggenheim Museum, the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2015, the Vitra Design Museum 2017, Triennale di Milano 2018, Echigo-Tsumori Triennale 2018, and the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2019.

H.E. Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailandadvised “I am delighted that Dr. Rachaporn Choochuey of all(zone) has been commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation for MPavilion 2022. 

“I welcome this important news as this year coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Thai-Australian diplomatic relations. Thailand and Australia have longstanding relations across a wide range of areas in all dimensions.  I am very pleased that the collaboration between MPavilion and all(zone) will reflect the strength of Thai-Australian people-to-people links and deepen our bilateral ties. The Royal Thai Embassy will work closely with MPavilion and the Thai community to promote the spirit of creativity and active engagement as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations.”

Design and build details of all(zone)’s MPavilion will be revealed in July.

Since 2014, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation has enriched Australian cultural life by engaging new audiences with exceptional art, design and architecture. Led by Naomi Milgrom AC, the foundation has become a model for public-private collaboration by enabling new projects with a focus on public engagement, industry stimulation, and education.

Image top: all(zone) team; image above: MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai

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