Centre Pompidou Acquires 12 Architectural Models by MAD Architects

Written by Niall Patrick Walsh
Published on February 25, 2019

The Centre Pompidou in Paris has acquired 12 architectural models by MAD Architects, depicting 10 significant projects undertaken by the firm. Each model embodies MAD’s core values that “look to envisioning a futuristic architecture that is akin to dream-like earthscapes – one that creates a conversation with nature, the earth, and the sky.”

The collection, permanently acquired by the Pompidou, represents projects developed by MAD between 2005 and the present day, demonstrating the evolution of the firm’s design process. The Pompidou has become the first major European cultural institution to acquire such a collection of MAD’s work, on display in an exhibition beginning in April 2019.

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The models offer a diverse range of works, from a family home transformed into a contemporary kindergarten, to residential towers conceived as urban forests. The 12 models express how MAD creates a “balance between humanity, the city, and the environment, with a particular sensibility towards the spiritual and emotional needs of inhabitants and their connection to nature.”

The models encompass built and unbuilt structures, such as the “Absolute Towers” in Canada, also known locally as the “Marilyn Monroe Towers”; the “Harbin Opera House” and “Chaoyang Park Plaza” in China; “Clover House” in Japan; and the “Lucas Museum of Narrative Art” in the USA.