The NGV Architecture Commission Competition 2019 aims “to activate the garden with an engaging temporary structure or installation…
expected to deliver a compelling response to the site while also utilising low impact design and construction methodologies that intelligently respond to the site condition.”
Mark Richards Architects submission to the competition was entitled “The Mountain”

Water is a constant and recurring theme at the NGV.
Our conceptual idea is a commentary on the theme of water, the cycle of water and how the journey of water fits within the NGV gardens.
Our proposition is that the moat at the NGV is the ocean. The design creates a ‘built’ mountain and explores the journey of water from mountain to ocean. The journey is mapped and sometimes ambiguous.
The articulation of the journey resembles a dried river bed and is a cycle from ocean (moat) to mountain and back again. The journey describes the 4 stages of water: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Collection. Within the mountain pavilion there are 4 chambers; some emitting steam, fog filled chambers, water, mist and light
The spatial experience combines water, light and sound. The chambers help the viewer reflect on the physical world, in particular the role of water in our lives.
The theme of water is linked to our collective understanding of natural resources, waste, recycling and sustainability.

The journey is mapped and sometimes ambiguous. The articulation of the journey resembles a dried river bed. The journey describes the 4 stages of water: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Collection.

In the tradition of making pavilions, there is a forced reality, when viewers must re-evaluate the gardens, and are encouraged to imagine a new reality within the garden space.