The Melbourne-based designer behind some of the nation’s most coveted pieces of contemporary furniture and lighting is showcasing them in an imagined setting inspired by brutalist architecture and Australian bushland.

Ross Gardam’s Pavilion concept first launched in 2023 as a universal space for exhibiting the brand’s expanding portfolio of furniture and lighting. Expressing a purity of vision, its purpose is to transport virtual ‘visitors’ into an evolving space defying time and place, one that showcases an array of original ideas removed from existing convention. 

Pavilion Volume Two – created in 2025 in tandem with Melbourne-based digital agency Mr.P Studios, with graphics by SouthSouthWest and photography by Haydn Cattach – is intended as inspiration for any space, scenario, interior or exterior envisioned for Gardam’s designs.

“Typically, in the studio, I am focused a lot on finer product detailing. So to scale out a bit and look at how collections of objects work within the Pavilion space has been a rewarding project,” Gardam tells Australian Design Review. “Focusing on how the objects interact within the architecture and the Australian landscape has been the most time-consuming part of the process, as we revisited Pavilion in Volume Two.”

Enter Pavillion Volume Two

The inspiration behind Pavilion stems from Gardam’s long-standing fascination with brutalist architecture – in particular, the honesty and monolithic sense of grandeur associated with this style. 

The façade is open, expansive and inviting, drawing focus first to the curved entry, revealing the Aeris chandelier and Solace table lamp. Beams compel people to continue through the interior until arriving at the internal courtyard of the atrium, which, in turn, transitions to the Australian bushland outside.

There is an emphasis on minimalism, with concrete used in situ as the base material. Creating contrast was key for the team, as seen in the curved roof detail, which softens the walls and beams leading to the atrium. 

To establish an intuitive sense of flow, the horizontal planes, beams and external uprights were secured in place via a physical cut-out of the façade for the beams to sit. Each element seamlessly locks together through this singular interaction, ultimately unifying the building.

How the Australian bushland softens the vision

Pavilion has been photographed for Volume Two early in the morning with fog engulfing the building.

The external environment reveals the location as unmistakably Australian, replete with eucalyptus trees, native ferns and other flourishing vegetation that catch the first light. They have grown wilder and more intertwined with the exterior, an organic evolution from Volume One. 

Intrinsic to Pavillion Volume Two is the idea of incorporating nature inside, as part of the narrative. The landscape flows up to the footing of the building and into the open atrium, softening the relationship between Pavilion and its environment.

A journey of discovery through Ross Gardam’s collections

As a space providing scale and form for staging Gardam’s designs, careful consideration was given to curating the furniture and lighting inside – including the journey to discover them. 

To this end, the interior consists of four rooms with interconnected views to one another, as well as to the internal courtyard and the exterior. This simultaneous view of each adjacent space adds to the intrigue, triggering curiosity for people to explore the entire interior, leading out to the Australian landscape.

Each object is given room to breathe, while hinting at other instantly recognisable pieces in the Gardam oeuvre. In one open room, an Aeris linear chandelier hovers above a Breeze dining table, while floating Solace pendants are just perceptible beyond the courtyard. In another, a Volant light sits gently affixed to the concrete wall.

A limited edition light from the Ross Gardam portfolio, Relic was a breakout piece from 2025 that earned the brand the Object, Furniture & Lighting – Professional prize at the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). Made in collaboration with glass sculptor Peter Kovacsy, Relic is a monolithic cone with a mirror-like surface, a brutalist creation made from cast crystal glass.

In Pavillion Volume Two, Relic commands attention despite its relative stature. Its ethereal  glow – a mirror that offers no reflection – is an optical device designed to reveal the mesmerising depth and luminosity of glass.

Pavilion highlights the emotional resonance of Gardam’s work. The concept also reflects his belief that objects are not meant to exist in isolation, but rather in relation to ourselves and our surroundings. 

To explore Pavilion Volume Two, head to the Ross Gardam website.

Photography by Haydn Cattach. Visualisations by MR.P Studios. Graphics by SouthSouthWest.