Exhibition “Shigeru Ban. Building a Better World” – Centre Pompidou-Metz

Step into the world of Shigeru Ban, an internationally renowned architect and co-designer of the Centre Pompidou-Metz with Jean de Gastines. For this major exhibition, the architect himself curates the show and invites you to discover the behind-the-scenes of his creation. Far beyond completed buildings, the journey reveals his way of thinking about architecture, his influences, and his commitment to a more human and responsible design.

Models, sketches, diagrams, and experiments immerse you in the heart of his creative process. You’ll discover how an idea takes shape and how materials like cardboard, bamboo, or recycled wood become elements of architecture. The exhibition also highlights the architects and artists who have inspired his thinking, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Alvar Aalto, via Frei Otto, Louis Kahn, or Alexander Calder. These influences reveal a unique approach, blending innovation, craftsmanship, and attention to usage.

Known for his interventions in disaster-stricken areas, Shigeru Ban designs both emergency solutions and permanent buildings. His work explores renewable, local, or repurposed materials to create light and ingenious structures. The Centre Pompidou-Metz itself is a remarkable example of this. Here, architecture adapts, opens up, and plays with light rather than imposing boundaries.

Extend the experience through a scenography specially designed by Shigeru Ban. Cardboard structures, stretched textiles, transparency, and modular devices bring his architectural language to life across several spaces of the Centre Pompidou-Metz. Come discover this exhibition and dive into the mind of an architect who redefines how we imagine and inhabit spaces.