MELBOURNE.- The temporary architecture pavilion designed by Sean Godsell Architects was the inaugural in the annual MPavilion series initiated by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and is one of six finalists in the Temporary Spaces category of the annual World Architecture News (WAN) Awards.

The finalist announcement comes days after the 2014 MPavilion was awarded an Australian Institute of Architects’ 2015 Award Victorian Architecture Award in the Small Project category.

MPavilion was erected in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens from October 2014 until February 2015 and populated by a free program of more than 300 events that attracted 64,000 people. The 2014 MPavilion was marked by its dynamic, changeable design, featuring a series automated panels that would unfold to control and accentuate light and shade, echoing the way plants respond to the sun.

The WAN Award judges commended the 2014 MPavilion for its “strong, simple” concept and reference to nature. The winner of the WAN Award will be announced on 7 July 2015. The 2014 MPavilion will compete against other finalists including a zero-carbon emissions tower by New York studio The Living commissioned for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), among a handful of others. The winning entry will be announced on July 7.

The AIA annual awards program, now in its twelfth year, celebrates design excellence and aims to elevate public awareness of the importance of design. The program celebrates public and peer recognition of the innovative work of Victorian architectural projects.

Each year, an architect is commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation based on the strength of their international profile as well as their ability to encourage design debate, and make a meaningful contribution to Australian creative industries. Award-winning Australian architect Sean Godsell was chosen as the architect for the inaugural MPavilion in 2014—designing a form inspired by iconic outback sheds and verandas.

For the 2015 MPavilion commission, to be unveiled in October, British architect Amanda Levete of AL_A has designed a forest-like pavilion using the latest technology in nautical engineering. The design renders for the 2015 MPavilion will be announced on Monday 13 July.