Hong Kong's M+ museum of contemporary visual culture has announced a two-phase donation by Herzog & de Meuron, the firm behind its design. 

The first phase of the donation consists of a section model of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Beijing National Stadium (in collaboration with artist Ai Weiwei), known as the “Bird’s Nest”, which was the main site at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. 

The second phase will include a selection of process materials from the firm’s key projects in Asia and elsewhere. This donation makes M+ the first museum in Asia to boast a significant holding of materials related to the work of Herzog & de Meuron. 

The “Bird’s Nest” model is currently on display in M+’s East Galleries as part of an ongoing exhibition titled Things, Spaces, Interactions, which explores various forms of design and architecture that have had a significant impact on Asia and beyond over the last seventy years. The piece is featured in the exhibition’s section on late postmodernism in Asia with contemporary design and architecture practices that reflect regional specificities and technical developments. 

“Herzog & de Meuron is one of the most prominent global architecture practices in the world and the architect of the M+ building,” Museum Director Suhanya Raffel said. “We are truly excited to receive the donation from our long-time partner. The model will cement the M+ design and architecture collection as one of the world’s leading collections, and we are proud to share this work with visitors from across the globe in one of our current exhibitions.”