The scenography of the exhibition 'Auguste Perret: Eight Masterpieces!/?' | AMO/OMA

The architectural office OMA AMO, under the direction of Rem Koolhaas, the artistic curator, is the exhibition designer of the exhibition called "Auguste Perret: Eight Masterpieces!/? – Reinforced Concrete Buildings", organised by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (ESEC) in collaboration with Fondazione Prada at the Palais d'Iéna – ESEC headquarters.

With a solid theoretical perspective and today's production possibilities, the exhibition aims at a thoroughgoing transformation of the way this intellectual builder is seen. The focus is on eight major works: in Paris, immeuble de la Rue Franklin (1903), Théâtre des Champs-Elysées (1913), église Notre Dame du Raincy (1923), salle Cortot (1928), Mobilier national (1934) and Palais d’Iéna (1937); and in Le Havre, Hôtel de Ville (1950) and église Saint Joseph (1951). With their technical inventiveness and unique relationship with their materials, these eight buildings represent a decisive addition to 20th-century architecture.

The Palais d’Iéna itself is the first exhibit. For the exhibition, located in the pillared hypostyle room, OMA AMO has reused designs made for earlier Prada events: since 2011 the office has been exploring the interior of the Palais in its staging of fashion parades and cultural events. The scenography of the exhibition is a collage of these explorations, designed as contemporary interpretations of Perret's architecture. This temporary construction – this building within a building – is a deeply contextual installation that highlights the enduring virtues of its concrete setting.