This year's MPavilion designed by Bangkok-based studio All(zone) has opened to the public in the Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne.

Topped with a bright orange canopy, the pavilion was designed to celebrate outdoor life in the city of Melbourne, while mimicking the feeling of being underneath a tree.

Commissioned annually by charity The Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the ninth edition was designed by All(zone) during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We began the MPavilion design process right after the peak of Covid with a long lockdown in Bangkok," said All(zone) founder Rachaporn Choochuey. "Our MPavilion, therefore, was designed to celebrate the moment when we all could meet and see each other in public again."

The main canopy was built from three layers with specially selected materials combine to create a tensile system that shelters visitors, but allows light to pass through.

Designed in collaboration with engineering studios Tensys and Aecom, the outer layer was built from fishing nets, creating a tactile texture for the pavilion.

The middle layer is a polyacrylate mesh that is both transparent and waterproof, while the bottom layer is made of colourful latticed fabric that allows light to filter through and moves with the breeze.

"The engineering and manufacturing has been a huge step forward for us in understanding the possibilities of fabric-based architecture," said Choochuey.

Choochuey hopes that visitors to this year's pavilion will feel calm within the experimental structure.

"We at All(zone) are always exploring the potential of light architecture," she said. "We wanted to create a place where people could feel at ease, and a space that was fun, colourful and friendly."

The pavilion will host series of events, workshops and performances until 6 April when it will be moved to a permanent location in Melbourne.

Last year, the geometric, kaleidoscopic form of MPavilion was designed by Venetian practice MAP Studio. The annual commission has also seen designs from Glenn Murcutt who created a minimal pavilion with a linear "lantern" roof in 2019.

The photography is by John Gollings unless stated otherwise.