A true icon of Western architecture, the Parthenon, erected in the fifth century B.C. on top of the Acropolis in Athens, has been given a look-alike of a different kind, in the gardens of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Designed by Melbourne architects Adam Newman and Kevin Tsang, this new version of the famous Greek temple was created on a scale of three. The intention behind this work? To invite the public to consider the effect of time on architecture in general. Indeed, if the Parthenon is today associated with its clear marble, it was originally covered with painted decorations.
That is why Newman and Tsang’s version is dressed for the occasion with large-scale mural artworks by local artists in several phases. The first three, Drez, Manda Lane, and David Lee Pereira, opted for floral motifs as well as optical illusions.
As for its name, the Temple of Boom, is drawn from the vibrations of music, music that will animate this singular place throughout the summer period, through numerous performances.
The highlight of the festivities, visitors will be able to walk around the Athenian Parthenon through virtual reality. To be discovered until August 2023
Lisa Agostini