A ruin built on a ruin, just like the original: NGV’s spin on the Parthenon (2024)

In the gardens of Australia’s oldest gallery, one of the world’s most iconic pieces of architecture has been reimagined.

There are bright colours streaking up its pillars, the floor features sprawling scenes of nature, and instead of the goddess Athena, Henry Moore’s 1958 bronze Draped seated woman takes pride of place on a plinth. Beyond the new, however, it’s clear what this is – an homage to the Parthenon.

Designed by Melbourne-based architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, Temple of Boom is the seventh iteration of the National Gallery of Victoria’s Architecture Commission.

“If, as an architect, I could be a fly on the wall of one building on the planet, through the history of human civilisation and just to see the events that have unfolded, it would absolutely have to be the Parthenon,” says Newman.

“It’s the most loaded building in terms of symbolism, politics and geopolitics,” he reflects, then points to the remarkable engineering that underpins it. “There’s general consensus among architects, engineers and archaeologists that we would not have the capacity to build the Parthenon today. It’s just always there as this monument to artistic perfection.”

Of course, all of that made it an intimidating project to take on. Roughly one-third the size of the original, Temple of Boom was never intended to be a replica – it was always going to be a reimagining. Newman and Tsang had two key motivations: to spark conversations and to support local arts.

“We’d always intended it to be a mechanism for the arts community in Melbourne to start to regenerate,” says Newman.

One way Temple of Boom will strive for this will be by inviting other artists to shape how the structure looks and evolves over the nine months it will be in place.

That taps into one of the core ideas behind the project, “that all architecture changes through time”, reflects Ewan McEoin, senior curator of contemporary art, design and architecture at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Across three different phases, groups of artists will come in and put their own stamp on the work. The first group – Drez, Manda Lane and David Lee Pereira – have already left their mark, with subsequent artists yet to be announced. “The brief actually was to go back to the original Parthenon, as it was when it was originally built, which is a highly decorative building,” explains McEoin.

The plan for how Temple of Boom will shift and change over the year is not set in stone. Rather, the artists will meet and discuss where to go next, based on what has come before.

“It’s been very lovely watching them,” says McEoin. “You really get a sense of the code of behaviour in the street art community, which actually is incredibly respectful and structured.”

There’s a parallel here with how Temple of Boom fits in with its predecessor Pink Pond, the highly popular 2021 winner, which delivered exactly what the name promised. Temple of Boom is built directly over what remains of the previous commission, the pink base clearly visible around the edge.

Even before their pitch was accepted, Newman and Tsang had reached out to the Pink Pond architects to get their permission. The concept of architecture evolving over time is etched into the foundations. “It’s a ruin built on a ruin, as was the Parthenon,” says McEoin.

Over the nine months it’s in place, Temple of Boom will play host to events and gatherings of all kinds. With the building that inspired it front of mind, the NGV has been in conversation with the Hellenic Museum to organise panels and events about the historical context of the Parthenon. There will be music events and theatrical readings from ancient Greek plays, and they’ve already been approached by a theatre group to perform in the space.

With Temple of Boom opening to the public for the first time this week, this is what both Newman and McEoin are most excited about – the moment where the work is handed over to the community. Not knowing what the response will be or how the space will be used is its own thrill.

McEoin points to the Pink Pond. “We were just blown away by that – we had children coming in swimming costumes with towels, getting off trams, it just was a totally unexpected thing,” he reflects with a smile.

The Temple of Boom is now open to the public.

Loading

A cultural guide to going out and loving your city. Sign up to our Culture Fix newsletter here.