International architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which built Hong Kong’s M+ museum and the National Stadium in Beijing, has donated a second collection of models, sketches and drawings to the art institution in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
The M+ said on Thursday that the more than 200 archival items follow an initial donation in 2023, when the architecture firm, headquartered in Switzerland, gave the museum a section model of the National Stadium.
In addition to designing the stadium, commonly known as the “Bird’s Nest”, for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the firm was responsible for the striking upside down T-shaped M+ building and the Tai Kwun heritage centre, as well as the Tate Modern in London.
“As M+ marks its fifth anniversary this year, this second phase of donation from Herzog & de Meuron further strengthens the M+ collections and affirms architecture as a core pillar of the museum,” museum director Suhanya Raffel said.
“From the design of our museum building as a global cultural landmark to its contribution to our collection, our close relationship with Herzog & de Meuron continues to flourish through this exhibition. It illuminates how architectural design forges connections between people and place, with M+ standing as a powerful testament to that vision.”
An accompanying exhibition, “Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus”, that traces the architecture firm’s work in China through 10 projects between 2002 and 2021 is set to open on September 12.
The exhibition will feature models, drawings, material samples and prototypes donated to the M+, which will be displayed in replicas of the wooden vitrines developed for the firm’s open storage of its archival holdings in Basel.
