centre pompidou explores hans hollein's avant-garde world in 'transFORMS' exhibition

Centre Pompidou hosts ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS’ exhibition

Centre Pompidou in Paris presents ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS’, a deep dive into the creative trajectory of the pioneering Austrian architect, artist, and theorist. Curated by Frédéric Migayrou, deputy director of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, the exhibition recontextualizes Hollein’s (1934–2014) work beyond postmodernism, tracing his connections to conceptual art, radical architecture, and experimental design across five decades.

Although the iconic museum designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers closed its doors on Monday, March 10th, for a major five-year renovation, visitors can still experience ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS’ at Galerie 4, on view until June 2, 2025.

Colonnes de la façade de la Strada Novissima, 1st Architecture Venice Biennale, La presenza del passato (The Presense of the Past), 1980 | image courtesy of Architekturzentrum Wien, Collection / Archive Hans Hollein, Az W and MAK, Vienne © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Architekturzentrum Wien, Collection / Archive Hans Hollein, Az W and MAK, Vienna

Beyond Postmodernism and Avant-Garde Influences

Widely recognized for his influential architectural projects, Hollein’s work extends far beyond buildings. ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS’ revisits his early spatial experiments (1958–1962), urban-scale collages, now in MoMA’s collection, and conceptual works created alongside Walter Pichler in the Architektur exhibition (1963). While his name is often tied to postmodernism—particularly through his iconic colonnade for La Strada Novissima at the 1980 Venice Biennale—the show reveals his engagement with broader avant-garde movements from informalism to radical design.

From boutique designs like Vienna’s Retti (1965) and Schullin I & II (1974–1976) to larger-scale commissions such as the Haas Haus (1990) and the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt (1991), the Centre Pompidou exhibition highlights his ability to navigate the intersection of architecture, art, and exhibition design.

Stadtgebilde über Wien (Urban Structures over Vienna), 1960, Photomontage on original carton, 13,8 × 32,7 cm Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Achat, 1993 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn

a tribute to the austrian architect

Hollein’s curatorial and editorial contributions were equally transformative. From 1965 onward, he actively wrote for the Austrian magazine Bau and curated seminal exhibitions, including Austriennale (Milan Triennale, 1968) and MANtransFORMS (Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York, 1976). His installation Die Turnstunde (1984) at Mönchengladbach’s Abteiberg Museum further showcased his exploration of space as an immersive and psychological experience.

Following his passing in 2014, the Centre Pompidou acquired an extensive collection of Hollein’s works, from models and drawings to archival documents. With ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS,’ the museum reassesses his legacy but also affirms his enduring relevance in architectural discourse today. As Hollein famously declared: ‘Everything is architecture.’

a deep dive into the creative trajectory of the pioneering Austrian architect | image by Bertrand Prevost

Installation Raum mit durchschreitbaren Wänden (Room with Passable Walls), lateral wing of the pavilion, 1972
Interior view, photographic print on paper, 23.9 × 17.8 cm, | image by Franz Hubmann Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Collection de la famille Hollein, don de la Clarence Westbury Foundation, 2016 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Janeth Rodriguez-Garcia/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn © Franz Hubmann / brandstaetter images / picturedesk.com

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the exhibition recontextualizes Hollein’s work | image by Bertrand Prevost

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Hans Hollein in seinem mobilen Büro (Hans Hollein in his mobile office), 1969 Photographic print on paper, 30,5 × 43 cm | image courtesy of Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Don de l’architecte, 2000 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Jean-Claude Planchet/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn

view of the installation Pneumatische Strukturen (Pneumatic Structures) Installation of three monumental inflatables, Österreichische Bildhauer der Gegenwart exhibition (Austrian Sculptors of the Present), Kapfenberg (Austria), 1967 Tirage Photographic print on paper, 23,5 × 18 cm, | image courtesy of Karin Mack Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Collection de la famille Hollein, don de la Clarence Westbury Foundation, 2016 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Janeth Rodriguez-Garcia/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn © Karin Mack (agreement received)

the show reveals the architect’s engagement with broader avant-garde movements | image by Bertrand Prevost

City-Communication Interchange as Mean of Expression, 1962 Graphite on paper, 51 × 76,5 cm Acquisition, 2000 Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn

Hans Hollein navigates the intersection of architecture, art, and exhibition design | image by Bertrand Prevost

clothing store Christa Metek, Vienna, 1966-1967 facade | image courtesy of © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Photo12/Alamy/Woolver Visuel

the Centre Pompidou acquired an extensive collection of Hollein’s works | image by Bertrand Prevost

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with ‘Hans Hollein transFORMS,’ the museum reassesses his legacy | image by Bertrand Prevost

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Hans Hollein facade of la Strada Novissima, Venice Architecture Biennale, La présence du passé, 1980 Architekturzentrum Wien, Collection / Archive Hans Hollein, Az W et MAK, Vienne © Private Archive Hollein

Candle store Retti, Vienna, Austria. Elevation of the facade, 1964-1965 Colored pencil enhanced print on paper, 42 × 29,7 cm

Hans Hollein Revue Bau : Schrift für Architektur und Städtebau, n°1-2 : Alles ist Architektur (All is Architecture), 1968 Architekturzentrum Wien, Collection / Archive Hans Hollein, Az W and MAK, Vienne © Private Archive Hollei

Werk und Verhalten, Leben und Tod. Alltägliche Situationen [Work and Behavior, Life and Death, Everyday Situations] Collage Mantegna, 1972 Photomontage, 25.6 × 20.3 cm Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Collection of the Hollein family, gift from the Clarence Westbury Foundation, 2016 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn

Projekt für die Stadt Kopenhagen [Project for the City of Copenhagen], 1969 Photomontage retouched with watercolor, 20.2 × 25 cm Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle, Paris Acquisition, 1993 © Private Archive Hollein Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn