HONG KONG.- M+ will present Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus. Opening in September, this exhibition celebrates the museum’s fifth anniversary and marks the second phase of a significant donation to the M+ Collections by Herzog & de Meuron, the internationally renowned architectural firm that designed the M+ building.

The exhibition traces Herzog & de Meuron’s evolving vision over the last two decades through ten key projects in China dating from 2002 to 2021, including M+ (2012–2021) and Tai Kwun in Hong Kong (2006–2018), and the National Stadium in Beijing (2002–2008). It will open to the public in the M+ Focus Gallery from Saturday, 12 September 2026 to Sunday, 10 January 2027.

Inspired by the Kabinett—a foundation established in 2015 by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron as a permanent repository of architectural thinking and knowledge for research and exchange—the exhibition displays its objects in replicas of the wooden vitrines developed for the firm’s open storage of archival holdings in Basel, Switzerland. Bringing together an important selection of models, drawings, material samples, and prototypes donated to the M+ Collection, Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus offers a closer look into the perspectives that shape the firm’s architectural imagination.





This donation builds on Herzog & de Meuron’s first gift to M+ in 2023 of a section model of the Beijing National Stadium (2002–2008), commonly known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’. This second phase expands the M+ Collection with over two hundred process materials, including models, prototypes, sketches, and archival items. 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. 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.

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

Ikko Yokoyama, Senior Curator, Head of Design and Architecture, M+, says, ‘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.’

Jacques Herzog, Founding Partner, Herzog & de Meuron, says, ‘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.’

Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus is curated by Ikko Yokoyama, Senior Curator, Head of Design and Architecture, M+, supported by Iris Ng, Assistant Curator, Design and Architecture, M+. M+ will also organise an architecture tour throughout the exhibition period led by M+ Volunteer Guides. Visitors are invited to join and discover the museum’s distinctive architectural features and design highlights.