M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, is proud to 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 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.

Ticketing arrangements

Visitors can access all M+ galleries with a single-price admission ticket. Tickets are HKD 190 for adults and HKD 100 for visitors eligible for concessions*. Kid and Adult Combo Tickets are also available for HKD 250 for one adult and one child or HKD 400 for two adults and one child. M+ tickets are available for online purchase via the M+ website, WestK website, WestK App, Cityline, China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited, Fliggy, Klook, KKday, and Trip.com. For details, please refer to the M+ website.

*Concession tickets are available for full-time students, children ages seven to eleven, senior citizens ages sixty and above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.

M+ Membership

M+ annual membership and patron membership offer an exclusive experience of contemporary visual culture for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. M+ Members can enjoy unlimited admission to all M+ exhibitions by presenting their valid membership card upon entry. They can also enjoy access to the exclusive M+ Members’ Lounge with guests, M+ Private Viewings, priority ticket purchasing, and much more. The annual fee for individual membership is HKD 600, and dual membership is HKD 1,000. Young Member and Senior Member annual memberships are available at half price. Family Membership is available with an annual fee of HKD 1,200. Meanwhile, M+ Patrons enjoy unlimited admission to all exhibitions with up to three guests per visit. M+ Members and Patrons can attend exclusive previews to exhibitions prior to public opening, while Patrons receive personal invitations to private events and fifty per cent discounts on additional exhibition tickets. For more information, please visit the M+ website.

About Herzog & de Meuron

Herzog & de Meuron is an international architectural practice based in Basel, Switzerland. Established in 1978, the practice is led by the two Founders and the Partners, one of whom holds the role of CEO. Today, an international team of over 500 collaborators is engaged in a wide range of projects across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The main office in Basel works in tandem with studios in Berlin and Munich, Paris, London, Hong Kong, and San Francisco.

The practice has designed a wide range of projects from the small scale of a private home to large-scale urban design. Many projects are highly recognised public facilities, such as museums, stadiums, and hospitals, as well as distinguished private projects like offices, laboratories, and apartment buildings. Herzog & de Meuron gained global recognition for the Bankside Power Station conversion into Tate Modern (2000) in London. Their reputation was further solidified through significant projects in Europe, North America, and Asia, including Prada Aoyama (2003) in Tokyo, the de Young Museum (2005) in San Francisco, the Elbphilharmonie (2016) in Hamburg, and the SongEun Art Space (2021) in Seoul. Herzog & de Meuron has received awards including the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2001), the RIBA Royal Gold Medal (2007), the Praemium Imperiale (2007), and the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (2014). In addition to M+, Herzog & de Meuron’s notable works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Centre Pompidou, Paris.

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the upcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre.

Hosting over 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, evolving as the international cultural brand of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.