Model of building-boom icon Bird's Nest at M+

A model of the Bird's Nest national stadium in Beijing is on display at M+ Museum - a donation to the West Kowloon Cultural District from Swiss-based architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron.

The two-meter-long model, showing the iconic stadium's internal and external structures, will be displayed at the museum's East Galleries until mid-next year.

Director Suhanya Raffel yesterday said the museum will receive donations from Herzog & de Meuron in two phases, with the 1:150 model being the first phase.

The museum will also receive materials from the firm's global projects, Raffel added.

"The stadium reflects China's building boom from around mid-2000 and is associated with the Summer Olympics, and it was a leap of architecture, urban planning and creativity in China," Raffel said.

Lead curator of design and architecture Ikko Yokoyama said it is a "study model" that architects use to simulate how the building works under different weather conditions and make adjustments.

"The stadium is an iconic example of China's many ambitious building projects which were planned as a display of the country's social and economic power on the international stage," Yokoyama said.

The model will be displayed under "Things, Spaces, Interactions," which features the late postmodernism in Asia with contemporary design and architecture practices.

"The donation makes M+ the first museum in Asia to have a significant holding of materials related to the work of Herzog & de Meuron, alongside The Museum of Modern Art in New York and Centre Pompidou in Paris," Yokoyama said.

Meanwhile, an exhibition showcasing the works of Jes Fan, Miao Ying, Wang Tuo, Xie Nanxing, Trevor Yeung and Yu Ji will open in September at M+.

And six artists - including two from Hong Kong - have been shortlisted for the second edition of the Sigg Prize - an award recognizing outstanding artists in the Greater China region.

The winner, to be announced next year, will receive HK$500,000. The others will get HK$100,00 each.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com