Thinking broadly of architecture, the masterpieces of the past inevitably come to mind; buildings constructed to withstand the passage of time, that have found an ally in age, cementing themselves in the history of humanity. Permanence, however, is a hefty weight to bear and architecture that is, due to its program, ephemeral should not be cast aside as "lesser-than."
The ephemeral character of museography—architecture for exhibitions—allows for experimentation and a more dynamic approach to design.
Below, we present 12 exhibition design projects from recent years, designed by architecture practices around the world.
Minding the Digital / MVRDV
Architects: MVRDV
Exhibition: Minding the Digital
Location and Date: The Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Shenzhen, China, December 12th, 2017 - June 3rd, 2018
Fear and Love - Sam Jacob Studio
Architects: Sam Jacob Studio
Exhibition: Fear and Love
Location and Date: London Design Museum, November 24th, 2016 - April 23, 2017
A Search for Living Architecture / Bestor Architecture
Architects: Bestor Architecture
Exhibition: A Search for Living Architecture
Location and Date: Palm Springs Art Museum, September 9th, 2017 - January 7th, 2018
Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design - Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Exhibition: Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design
Location and Date: Jewish Museum in New York, November 4th, 2016 - March 26, 2017
'Gerzso, Gerzso, Gerzso' - LANZA Atelier
Architects: LANZA Atelier
Design team: Alejandro Márquez, Celina Bonadeo, Jéssica Hernández, Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo
Construction: Factor Eficiencia and Arquitectura Básica
Location and Date: Centro Cultural Tlatelolco, Mexico City, 2015
Frei Otto. Thinking in Models - FAR frohn&rojas
Architects: FAR frohn&rojas
Exhibition: Frei Otto. Thinking in Models
Location and Date: ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany, November 5th, 2016 - March 12th, 2017
'MXCD01' - PALMA
Architects: PALMA (Ilse Cárdenas, Regina de Hoyos, Diego Escamilla, Juan Luis Rivera)
Design Team: Eugenio Rebolleda
Curator: Mario Ballesteros
Location and Date: Archivo Diseño y Arquitectura
Sao Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) Display / Lina Bo Bardi reviewed by METRO Arquitetos
Architects: Lina Bo Bardi reviewed by METRO Arquitetos
Exhibition: Rotating works from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) collection
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Under the Same Sun / Frida Escobedo
Architects: Frida Escobedo
Design Team: Frida Escobedo, Olivier Bellflamme, Natalia Gálvez, Federica Lombardi, Mariana Ríos
Curator: Pablo León de la Barra
Location: Museo Jumex, Mexico City
Kurt Schwitters: Merz / Zaha Hadid Architects
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Exhibition: Kurt Schwitters: Merz
Location and Date: Galerie Gmurzynska, Zurich, June 12th - October 8th, 2016
El Viaje de los Objetos / Germen Estudio
Architects: Germen Estudio
Exhibition: El Viaje de los Objetos
Location and Date: Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco CCUT, Mexico City, 2016
Chamber of Wonders / PRODUCTORA
Architects: PRODUCTORA
Exhibition: Chamber of Wonders
Curator: Jens Hoffman
Location and Date: Mexico City, Medellín, Rio de Janeiro, 2016