Exhibition ‘Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus’ Marks Donation to the M+ Collections

HONG KONG – The exhibition ‘Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus’ at M+ celebrates the museum’s fifth anniversary and marks the second phase of a significant donation to the M+ Collections by Herzog & de Meuron.

This donation builds on Herzog & de Meuron’s first gift to M+ in 2023 of a section model of the National Stadium in Beijing. This second phase expands the M+ Collection with over two hundred process materials, including models, prototypes, sketches, and archival items, from key projects in China dating from 2002 to 2021.

Since the early 2000s, Herzog & de Meuron has maintained a deep and sustained engagement with China’s rapid growth and urban transformation, contributing to landmark cultural and civic projects including museums, academic institutions, sports stadiums, and city master plans.

The exhibition ‘Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus’ spotlights ten built and unbuilt projects in China, reflecting the firm’s longstanding involvement with the region and its technological and design evolution. Each project is examined through its response to site, materials, and cultural context, revealing and advancing a distinct architectural language.

An important selection of models, drawings, material samples, and prototypes donated to the M+ Collection are displayed in replicas of the wooden vitrines developed for the Kabinett. The exhibition is open to the public in the M+ Focus Gallery from 12 September 2026 to 10 January 2027.

‘We are honoured to make this donation to M+ as the museum celebrates its fifth anniversary. As a cultural landmark in Asia that brings architectural discourse to the fore, M+ holds a special place in our practice, and this exhibition allows us to share the thinking behind some of our most important work in China, not only as finished buildings, but as a process shaped by research, materials, dialogue, and the realities of place.’ – Jacques Herzog, Founding Partner, Herzog & de Meuron

‘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. 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.’ – Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+

‘Focusing on ten pivotal projects in China, this exhibition traces both the evolving creative vision that defines Herzog & de Meuron’s practice and the wider transformation of China’s urban landscape. The open-storage display, inspired by the Kabinett, repositions the gallery as a space for discovery and dialogue. By showcasing the models, materials, methods, and research of these important architectural projects, we invite visitors to explore the experimentation and decision-making behind each work, from early ideas to built form.’ – Ikko Yokoyama, Senior Curator, Head of Design and Architecture, M+