A render of the recreated Parthenon in Melbourne, named the “Temple of Boom”. Source: Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, NGV.
The ancient Greek Parthenon will be replicated in Melbourne at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) this November.
The mini replica created by artists Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, is about a third of the size of the Parthenon in Greece, the ancient temple atop the Acropolis in Athens.
The structure will be painted with large artworks by invited local artists that will take inspiration from the vibrant colours and artistic embellishments that were featured over 2,000 years ago at the original Parthenon.
“This thought-provoking work by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang invites us to consider how we create and imbue architecture with meaning, as well as how this meaning can shift across time periods and cultures,” said NGV director Tony Ellwood.
The recreated Parthenon is called “Temple of Boom”, taking its name from the vibrations of music, and will host live music, performances and other events during the summer period.
“There is something very special and moving about visiting the Parthenon but fundamentally, it’s a museum piece,” said Steve Dimopoulos, Victoria’s minister for creative industries.
“This will be something quite different and I would say equally special, where you can interact with it, you can walk through it, have a drink nearby on a nice summer night and Melbourne and Victoria can represent itself on its facade.”
NGV says the project is meant to have visitors “consider the effect of time on all architecture” and the slow but unstoppable change.
The Temple of Boom was announced as the new NGV architecture commission for 2022, an annual series that started in 2016.
It offers an opportunity for Australian architects and designers to create and present a temporary structure in the garden of the art gallery.
Last year, a pink pond that evoked Australia’s inland salt lakes, was installed for visitors to cool off during the summer.
There has also been a tower, an amphitheatre, an open-air maze and a pink car wash inspired playground built in previous years.
This new commission will be on display and open to visitors for free entry on 16 November.
