For the Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice, MVRDV has collaborated with Metadecor, Airshade, and Alumet among others to create the SOMBRA pavilion. With its shape inspired by heliodon devices, for the next six months this “ode to the sun” will provide a dynamic shading structure in the European Cultural Centre’s Giardini Marinaressa. The SOMBRA pavilion – its name a portmanteau of the Latin words for sun (sol) and shade (umbra) – serves as a demonstration vehicle for an innovative technology: kinetic building elements that work based exclusively on passive physical principles, without using electronics or motors. The pavilion’s six metal ribs are angled towards the sun, with the top and bottom arches corresponding to the angle of the sun during the summer and winter solstice respectively. These arches, which are made of beams reused from an earlier project, support triangular panels, which give a dappled shade thanks to the perforated screens of Metadecor’s MD Formatura. The panels are hinged, and open or close in response to the sun. In their resting state, the panels are open to maximise views through the shading screen. Yet in the presence of intense, direct sunlight, individual panels will close to give maximum shade. The impression is akin to a living organism, which changes its posture as the sun moves through the sky, and breathes a sigh during cloudy periods.
Working inside a building they designed in 2016, Crystal Houses, MVRDV created a narrative-driven design to occupy the shop window of Hermès for the summer of 2025, titled Galloping Through the Park. Made of brightly-coloured, 3D-printed elements, the design shows a horse, which former Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas liked to call the “first client” of the house, arriving in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark to be draped in Hermès finery by a chorus of birds. This seemingly simple story ties together multiple overlapping narratives and design challenges – from recalling the building’s original design concept to referencing the iconography of the house of Hermès, and from responding to the Hermès theme of the year to resolving the challenge of designing a “shop window” set in a façade that is entirely transparent.
The temporary installation Mega Mat – designed by MVRDV – was transformed into the Mini Mat, and travelling from its original location in Bangkok’s city centre to Chengdu to be part of an exhibition in the Tianfu Design Industrial Park (Hall A). Named “Weaving the Future - 2025 Sustainable Design Exhibition”, the exhibition explores how ordinary waste can be dramatically transformed and reused – with 69 projects from 17 countries. Originally presented during Bangkok Design Week 2025 and constructed from over 500 recycled plastic mats, Mega Mat was a large-scale art installation, a joyful gathering place, and an 860-square-metre infographic all in one. It was designed as a supersized Sua, a traditional Thai mat and everyday household essential.
MVRDV and Zecc Architecten have won the competition for the transformation of the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen into a public swimming pool. Nicknamed “Holy Water”, the transformation gives the vacant church a new, social function, while preserving the historic elements of this listed national monument. An adjustable swimming pool floor brings flexibility to the space that was once the church’s nave, allowing it to host a variety of activities in addition to swimming. The floor also makes it possible to fill the entire space with a thin layer of water, creating an impressive reflection of the church that gives visitors the feeling that they can walk on water. Originally built over 100 years ago, the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen, in the south of the Netherlands, stopped hosting services in 2023, providing the municipality the opportunity to find another purpose for the building. A new pool in this national monument offers a solution for the increasing number of visitors to Heerlen’s existing pools, while giving the vacant building with its recognisable silhouette in the city centre a new lease of life. The transformation of the church fits within the larger city centre development, which includes the arrival of a Roman museum and the renovation of the Royal-Rivoli cinema.
Think outside the box – or better yet, design a new one. 📢 We're looking for aspiring architects and design enthusiasts to join our upcoming internship program, starting in September 2025! Apply to help us make happy and adventurous places. You will be part of an international team of creative minds, working and collaborating to create architecture and designs that are green, social, sustainable, and innovative. 🌈🌿💡 Being an intern at MVRDV is more than “just work” – we always form a close community with various activities such as sports, learning opportunities and social gatherings, like our monthly Pecha Kucha. Vacancies for our internship program range from architecture, urbanism, and interior design to finance, HR, visualisation, MVRDV NEXT, business development, and public relations. Take a look here to see if there is an opening that fits your profile! 👉
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