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

although the museum closed its doors for a five-year renovation, visitors can still experience the show at galerie 4, on view until june 2, 2025.

thomai tsimpou March 12, 2025 5 min

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.

centre pompidou explores hans hollein's avant-garde world in 'transFORMS' exhibition - 1 — 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.

centre pompidou explores hans hollein's avant-garde world in 'transFORMS' exhibition - 2 — 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.’