Stunning and Revolutionary: Herzog & de Meuron's M+ Museum Building Finally Unveiled!

In a landmark achievement, the M+ museum building in Hong Kong has completed construction and obtained its Occupation Permit, with plans to open to the public at the end of 2021. Designed by the globally renowned architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, in partnership with TFP Farrells and ARUP, the M+ building is set to become an international architectural icon and a new addition to the global arts and cultural landscape.

Located on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, the 65,000 square-metre M+ building provides a permanent space for the first global museum of contemporary visual culture in Asia, dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving images, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. The commanding architectural form consists of monumental horizontal and vertical volumes, reflecting the architects’ reading of the unique typologies of Hong Kong’s architectural landscape and their sensitivity to local urban conditions.

Despite presenting challenges to designing and construction due to the excavation around the railway tunnels beneath the building site, this unique site condition became a point of departure for the M+ building. It produced a ‘found space’ that provides an anchor for the building for hosting dynamic and rotating installations. The podium and tower are united as concrete structures clad in ceramic tiles that reflect the changing conditions of light and weather, while the tower facade features an LED system for the display of content related to the museum, making a distinctive contribution to the city’s vibrant night-time environment.

The M+ building houses 17,000 square metres of exhibition space across thirty-three galleries, three cinemas, a Mediatheque, a Learning Hub, a Research Centre, museum shops, restaurants, a tea and coffee bar, a Members Lounge, and office spaces, with a Roof Garden that commands spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. The galleries are arranged on a large podium level on the second floor, offering visitors a fluid, interconnected experience of the exhibitions, while the tower defines a visual dialogue with the urban landscape of Hong Kong.

The completion of the M+ building marks an important milestone for both the West Kowloon Cultural District and Hong Kong. Betty Fung, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, believes that M+ will become one of the most iconic architectural landmarks in Hong Kong and a must-visit cultural landmark for residents and tourists in the future. Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, emphasizes the importance of the completion of M+’s construction journey and expresses excitement for soon welcoming visitors from Hong Kong and beyond to M+.

Jacques Herzog, Founding Partner, Herzog & de Meuron, articulates the ambition for the design and realization of the M+ building, which has the potential to become the major visual culture museum in Asia. He believes that diversity, equality, and access to the art of all kinds should be expressed from the very beginning and that this kind of broadness is part of the DNA of M+. The museum is locally inspired but also universal and open, to people and visitors across the world. In conclusion, the completion of the M+ museum building in Hong Kong is a significant achievement that promises to become an international architectural icon and a must-visit cultural landmark for residents and tourists. With its commanding architectural form, exhibition spaces, and unique site condition, the M+ building has the potential to become the major visual culture museum in Asia, embodying diversity, equality, and access to the art of all kinds.

Press Release

Cover photo: Ph. ©Virgile Simon Bertrand, Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.