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Madelon Vriesendorp review – sex-crazed visions of skyscrapers copulating
A new exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum in London, Mind Games, celebrates the work of Dutch artist and architect Madelon Vriesendorp, whose playful, sexually charged drawings of anthropomorphised skyscrapers helped shape a landmark vision of modern architecture. The show marks Vriesendorp winning the 2025 Soane Medal, awarded to figures who have furthered public understanding of architecture, and highlights her role as co-founder of the influential firm OMA alongside her former husband Rem Koolhaas.
The exhibition's first section features Vriesendorp's illustrations of New York landmarks, including her well-known 1975 drawing Flagrant Délit, which depicts the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings in bed together, interrupted by the RCA Building. This image famously appeared on the cover of Koolhaas's 1978 book Delirious New York, which argued that Manhattan's chaotic, capitalist growth produced richer, more human architecture than the rigid utopian ideals of modernists such as Le Corbusier. The exhibition's second part shows a shift in tone, presenting recent sculptures Vriesendorp has made from recycled materials, such as egg cartons and milk bottles, reflecting a more optimistic, environmentally conscious response to the climate crisis.
In short
- Madelon Vriesendorp exhibition opens at Sir John Soane's Museum, London
- Marks her winning the 2025 Soane Medal for architectural influence
- Show pairs raunchy 1970s skyscraper drawings with recent recycled-material sculptures
Explained simply
Madelon Vriesendorp is a Dutch artist and architect best known for her witty, sexually charged drawings that give human characteristics to famous buildings and imagine them interacting. She co-founded OMA, a hugely influential architecture firm, alongside her former husband Rem Koolhaas, and has now won the 2025 Soane Medal, which recognises figures who have shaped public understanding of architecture.
Her most celebrated image is a 1975 drawing called Flagrant Délit, which depicts New York's Empire State and Chrysler Buildings as though they were lovers in bed together, interrupted by a third building. This cheeky vision appeared on the cover of Koolhaas's influential 1978 book Delirious New York, which argued that Manhattan's unplanned, capitalist growth created more interesting architecture than the neat, orderly designs preferred by earlier modernist architects.
A new exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum in London called Mind Games shows how Vriesendorp's work has evolved over decades. Alongside her famous skyscraper drawings, the show features her recent sculptures made from recycled materials like egg cartons, reflecting her shift towards environmental concerns and a more optimistic view of contemporary architecture.
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